Clean Up Westminster launches today, calling for stronger anti-corruption laws, a cap on political donations, and an end to the cronyism of the House of Lords
A new non-partisan “Clean Up Westminster” campaign launches today amid fresh public fury at the revelation that Peter Mandelson passed highly sensitive government information in real time to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein while a senior minister, and overwhelming public dismay at the Government’s handling of this issue.
The campaign launches with three demands.
- Crack down on corruption, misconduct, and lying to the public: Nobody should be above the law, and the worst offenders should go to jail
- Take big money out of politics: Cap donations to stop our democracy being sold to the highest bidder
- Clean out the House of Lords: Replace it with a smaller and more democratic second chamber with limits on how long people can serve. No more handing out peerages to donors, and no more Lords lobbying for pay
“The Mandelson crisis has to be a wake up call to the government to fast track serious reforms to tackle corruption, cronyism and misconduct in politics. The public are rightly furious that politicians live by a different set of rules than the rest of us. It is time to make sure that those who write the laws are not themselves above the law.” — Susan Hawley, Executive Director, Spotlight on Corruption.
The campaign is calling on MPs to seize a once-in-a-generation opportunity to end the corrosive influence of big money in politics. The campaign says the Representation of the People Bill is a decisive test of whether the Government is willing to act. It offers a rare opportunity to strengthen the rules that govern political power but it only goes so far.
“Big money is corrupting our politics with wealthy donors buying the kind of access and influence that ordinary voters simply can’t match. That has to stop. We need a hard cap on political donations, so that politicians answer to the public, not those with the deepest pockets.” — Duncan Hames, Director of Policy and Programmes at Transparency International.
The campaign is non-partisan. Its evidence spans decades of conduct across Labour, Conservative, Reform, and other parties. And growing public fury at the state of British Politics. The campaign aims to channel this anger into practical change. Polling shows that 84% of the British public believe wealthy individuals use money to influence politics, and that 78% feel they have little or no say over political decisions. These views are shared equally by voters who disagree on almost everything else.
“Our democracy is broken. Politics should serve everyone — but right now, it’s only serving the rich and powerful. Meanwhile, ordinary people are struggling with the cost of living and NHS waiting lists, our voices unheard. This isn’t right or fair. We need a political system that works for all of us, not just those at the top. That starts with changing the system so it no longer rewards people who use politics for their own gain — whether that’s through mammoth donations to political parties, lying and corruption in public office, or buying their way into the House of Lords. It’s time to give power back to the people. It’s time to Clean Up Westminster”. — Olly Buston, Director of Clean Up Westminster.
Notes to editors
Clean up Westminster is a non-partisan people-powered movement to create a political system that works for everyone and is not rigged to serve the rich and powerful. Between them, our spokespeople have decades of experience fighting corruption and championing real democracy.
Polling and research referenced:
- 84% of the public believe wealthy individuals use money to influence politics. Source: Transparency International UK, Taking Big Money Out of Politics: https://www.transparency.org.uk/publications/taking-big-money-out-politics
- 78% of people feel they have little or no influence over political decisions. Source: Fair Vote UK polling
For interviews, comments, or further information, please contact:
Sara Badawi
SaraBadawi@CleanUpWestminster.org
07826528296