Jon is the Senior UK Media and Communications Manager at Transparency International UK, where he manages media and communications for the organisation's UK programmes including work on illicit finance, money and politics, and political integrity. His work spans strategic communications, media relations, and campaigns focused on ending corruption in the UK and the UK's role in facilitating corruption abroad. Prior to joining Transparency International UK Jon held a variety of communication and campaign roles, including at the Electoral Reform Society and Unlock Democracy.
Latest YouGov poll shows the public want an end to big money in politics
How much should one person be able to give to a political party? While the UK currently has no limit on political donations, new polling shows that the public’s view is that status quo needs to change.
Newpolling from YouGovreveals overwhelming public support for limiting donations to political parties, withtwo thirds of Britons (67%) saying there should be a cap of £50,000 or less – or no private donations at all.
The findings, published as part of YouGov’s biannual tracker, show that support for the status quo has collapsed. Just 13% of the public now believes there should be no limit on what individuals can donate to political parties, down from 21% six years ago.
The steady decline in support for unlimited donations tells its own story. Over the past six years, the British public has watched as mega-donors have wielded growing influence over our political system. We’ve have seen headlines about donors attending exclusive meetings with the Prime Minister and enjoying special access to Number 10. Mega donors have beenappointed to the House of Lords– given jobs for life to make the laws that govern us all.
Other democracies, like Canada, Australia, Italy and France, have dealt with the corrosive influence of big money in politics through donation caps. The UK is an outlier, and our system is weaker for it.
Before the last election, the Labour Party committed to protect democracy by strengthening the rules on political donations, and pledged to put the national interest above personal or partisan concerns. Their subsequent landslide secured a strong mandate from voters to deliver on those pledges.
With the public calling out for a meaningful donation cap, it’s time ministers fulfilled their promise to the people by taking big money out of politics.
