Normally when politicians punt something into the long grass it’s a cause for frustration. A sign of progress delayed. But the news that Keir Starmer has decided at the very last minute that the Representation of the People Bill will not return to the House of Commons today is perhaps a blessing in disguise.
This critical bill is a chance to put an end to the corrosive influence of individual mega-donors on our democracy. Farage’s crazy financial arrangements are the worst and most recent example of this. But it is an issue that impacts all political parties who are currently locked in an arms race to find bigger and bigger donors. You would have to have the gullibility of a puppy to think these mega donors want nothing in return for their generosity.
Starmer’s Government’s proposals were complicated and inadequate. First they said they would introduce a cap of £100,000 on overseas donors; then a moratorium on crypto donations; and a rule about how big a company’s revenues needed to be. On top of that, they have now added a rule that you can’t donate unlimited funds immediately after moving back to the UK (you now have to wait a year). And a rule about how big a company’s profits need to be.
It’s all getting very confusing and feels like sticking more and more fingers in holes in a sea embankment trying to hold back a sea of dodgy money. It won’t work. Money flows like water and will find the weakest point. We need to build a new sea wall. Fortunately, Stella Creasy MP has the perfect plan for just such a wall. Her simple amendment to the Bill would create a £100,000 cap on all individual political donations. It’s clear, easy to understand, and measurable.
We were all set for a critical debate in Parliament today. Crossing fingers that MPs would not chicken out of supporting the Creasy amendment. And then out of the blue, Keir Starmer has pulled the plug. We don’t know why. Maybe it was partly because of all the critical scrutiny that the Government’s weak proposals were beginning to get.
It turns out this delay may be good news. Andy Burnham, who will become Prime Minister on Monday, said on the election trail just last month that he supports a cap on political donations. The Bill will now return to the House of Commons under Burnham’s stewardship in early September after the summer holiday.
This will be a fantastic opportunity for the new Prime Minister to deliver an early, powerful, and wildly popular policy change. 92% of the public support a cap on political donations. Between now and September the Clean Up Westminster campaign will be working with our brilliant partners to try to make sure Burnham keeps his election promise and delivers the historic change that our democracy urgently needs. Please keep supporting us.