Financing UK Democracy: A stocktake of 20 years of political donations

For example, the Federal Election Commission reports that the Democratic Party and the Republican Parties collectively raised $900 million in 2002 alone Despite the large gap in funding of the political parties, there have been increasing concerns of changes in the donation landscape of UK politics. [...] These patterns raise a number of questions about the motives for donations, what political parties gain from these donations, and in general the effect on the competitiveness of the UK political environment.1 Critically, the rate of growth in these donations greatly exceeds the growth in so called ‘short money’ that is intended to reduce the resource imbalance between incumbent and other political. [...] The Brexit Party did not exist in 2015 so the amount shown reflects the level of donations received in 2019 (ie: this assumes a base of zero for the Brexit Party in 2015). [...] This is because the drivers of the overall trend – namely the increase in donations to the Conservatives and the reduction in Short money funding to Labour – either have clear momentum (donations) or are set in place until the next election (Short money). [...] Damming the sleaze: The new code of conduct and the outside interests of MPs in the British House of Commons.