Campaigners from Clean Up Westminster today staged a “Political Scrubdown” in Parliament Square, with performers wearing oversized masks of Peter Mandelson, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage to represent scandals from across the political spectrum and call for new laws to strengthen standards in public life and reduce the influence of big money in politics.
The non-partisan stunt called on the Prime Minister and MPs to use the Representation of the People Bill to help restore trust in politics and ensure the UK’s democratic system works for everyone, not just the rich and powerful.
Olly Buston, Director of Clean Up Westminster, said:
“We brought our bubbles to the Westminster bubble. This isn’t about any one party or politician. It’s about cleaning up the system and making sure politics works for ordinary people – not just the rich and powerful.
The Representation of the People Bill is a historic opportunity to clean up Westminster. But the Government’s plans have too many loopholes. We need to plug the gaps with a hard and low cap on all political donations. 92% of the British public support this.”
Clean Up Westminster is calling on Keir Starmer to deliver real change:
- Take big money out of politics: Cap political donations to stop our democracy being sold to the highest bidder
- Crack down on corruption and misconduct by Ministers and MPs: Nobody should be above the law
- Clean out the House of Lords: No more handing out peerages to donors, and no more Lords lobbying for pay
“We need a political system that works for all of us, not just those at the top. That means no longer rewarding people who use politics for their own gain — whether that’s through mammoth donations to political parties, corruption in public office, or buying their way into the House of Lords.” Buston said
ENDS
Notes to editors
92% of the British public support caps: https://www.fairvote.uk/news/donationcapviews
Clean Up Westminster launched with a Westminster Tube takeover and “clean graffiti” stunt highlighting the influence of big money in politics.
The campaign launch video has been viewed more than 1.7 million times on Instagram alone, with the Clean Up Westminster channel followed by more than 17,000 people in the last few weeks.
Clean Up Westminster is a non-partisan, people-powered movement campaigning to reduce the influence of money in politics and strengthen standards in public life.
For interviews, additional images and footage from today’s stunt, or further information, please contact:
Sara Badawi
SaraBadawi@CleanUpWestminster.org
07826528296