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With the single biggest individual political donation in UK history received by Reform UK in December 2025 and Elon Musk reportedly having considered a donation twelve times that size, and with the growing use of crypto and the difficulty of demonstrating the real source of such funds, the integrity of UK elections is under serious threat. The Elections Bill will be this Government’s one chance to prove UK democracy is not for sale, but will they get it right?
Join Observer Political Editor, Rachel Sylvester, MP for Cities of London & Westminster, Rachel Blake MP, Kamila Kingstone from Spotlight on Corruption and Rose Zussman from Transparency International, as well as Eliza Lockhart of the Centre for Finance and Security at RUSI, as they discuss the upcoming Elections Bill and whether measures to tighten rules on political funding go far enough to prevent wealthy individuals and foreign states undermining our democracy.
Chair | Rachel Sylvester - Political Editor, The Observer
Rachel Sylvester is Political Editor of The Observer. She was previously a columnist and interviewer at The Times and chair of The Times Education, Health and Crime and Justice Commissions. She was named political journalist of the year at the British Press Awards in 2016 and 2017.
Rachel Blake MP - Cities of London and Westminster
Rachel Blake is the Labour (Co-op) MP for Cities of London and Westminster, and has been an MP continually since 4 July 2024. She serves as an officer on the APPG for Anti-Corruption and Responsible Tax.
Rose Zussman - Senior Advocacy Manager, Transparency International
Rose leads Transparency International UK’s strategic engagement with Westminster, working toward the goal of ending corruption in the UK and the UK’s role in facilitating corruption abroad. Rose is also an active member of the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition (UKACC) where she contributes to the group’s advocacy on political corruption and illicit finance.
Kamila Kingstone - Defending Democracy Campaign Lead, Spotlight on Corruption
Kamila leads Spotlight on Corruption's Defending Democracy campaign, advocating for greater political and electoral integrity. She works on issues such as lobbying reform, tackling the influence of big money in politics, and protecting the integrity of elections.
Eliza Lockhart - Research Fellow, Centre for Finance and Security, RUSI
Eliza Lockhart is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Finance and Security at RUSI. Her research examines matters at the intersection of law, finance, and global security; with a particular focus on how evidence-based policy can promote democratic resilience and protect the rule of law against foreign interference. Eliza’s current projects include whistleblowing, state threats and economic security.