- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source
Andy Burnham's right-hand woman today said further action on political donations was 'under consideration' in the wake of Reform UK's £72million windfall.
Louise Haigh, who is First Secretary of State, said the Government would consider amendments to proposed laws that are currently passing through Parliament.
asserted
that → see → Parliament
She also said Labour ministers would return with a 'much bigger piece of legislation' before the next general election.
asserted
ministers → say → election
It comes after Reform received twin record-breaking £36million donations from crypto-billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne earlier this month.
asserted
Reform → come → Delo
The mega donations have sparked fresh scrutiny of political funding in the UK, with MPs and peers demanding a tough crackdown.
asserted
MPs → spark → crackdown
The Government has already moved to introduce a £100,000 cap on the amount of money that can be given to parties by British citizens overseas.
asserted
that → move → citizens
But ministers have also faced demands to impose a cap on donations from those living in the UK.
asserted
ministers → face → UK
Appearing at a fringe event at Labour's conference in Liverpool on Sunday, Ms Haigh was asked whether the Government would implement a cap on domestic political donations in order to combat foreign-based donors working around current rules.
asserted
Government → appear → rules
Louise Haigh, who is First Secretary of State, said the Government would consider amendments to proposed laws that are currently passing through Parliament.
asserted
that → say → Parliament
It comes after Nigel Farage's Reform UK received twin record-breaking £36million donations from crypto-billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne earlier this month
She replied: 'The Representation of the People's Bill is passing through Parliament.
asserted
Bill → come → Parliament
We will consider amendments and how we can tackle it through there.
asserted
we → consider → it
But your point about how skilful these people are about moving money around and exploiting loopholes is exactly why we need to get this totally right in this attempt.
asserted
this → move → attempt
We'll consider amendments through that but then we're going to have to come back to a much bigger piece of legislation in the Parliament to look at everything in the round, including foreign interference in our politics more generally not just through cash of course.
asserted
we → consider → course
But we need to make sure we get it right and that we don't allow foreign billionaires to buy access and buy democratic change in this country.'
Ms Haigh also pointed to how a Whitehall 'task and finish' team is looking at political funding rules, as well as other issues around the UK's democracy.
asserted
team → need → democracy
'This task and finish group is looking at that from the centre and for the first time that brings in everyone - the Home Office, all departments that have some kind of impact or some kind of policy ownership in this area,' she added.
asserted
she → finish → area
'We saw it in the Makerfield by-election, the Russian bots that were so active on every Facebook page and really, really changing opinions and influencing opinion on the ground.
asserted
that → see → ground
'That's equally as important as cleaning up money in politics.
asserted
That → clean → politics
Ms Haigh was later asked whether she is just as worried about donations from wealthy UK citizens as she is about donations from foreign millionaires or billionaires.
asserted
she → ask → millionaires
'Any individual having outsized influence - which of course they will have if that's the kind of money they're donating - is pernicious to a democracy, of course it is,' she said.
asserted
she → have → course
Reform leader Nigel Farage has previously criticised Government plans to retrospectively apply a £100,000 cap on contributions from overseas donors.
asserted
Farage → criticise → donors
Mr Delo and Mr Harborne have been based in Hong Kong and Thailand respectively, though they are reported to have already returned to the UK.
asserted
they → base → UK
Reform has insisted their donations are in line with both current rules and planned restrictions on money from donors based abroad, which would also apply for the first 12 months after expats come back to Britain.
asserted
expats → insist → Britain
The party has also accused Labour of 'hypocrisy' over the huge sums it receives from trade unions.
asserted
it → accuse → unions
Union bosses recently said their funding of political parties should not be put in the same category as donations from wealthy individuals as they expressed their alarm at Reform's mega-donations.
asserted
they → say → donations
Britain's elections watchdog recently said it could slash political spending limits as part of a Government-commissioned review amid the row over Reform's donations.
uncertain
it → say → donations
Vijay Rangarajan, the chief executive of the Electoral Commission, said he is looking at whether current rules on spending by political parties are 'fit for purpose'.
asserted
rules → say → purpose
His review will look at current spending limits, reporting requirements for donations, and the amount that can be spent between designated election periods.
asserted
that → look → periods
The review was first commissioned by the Government in July, with Ms Haigh and Communities Secretary Angela Rayner having written to Mr Rangarajan last month to express their view that current spending limits are 'too high' and ought to be cut.
asserted
limits → commission → view
Under existing restrictions, parties standing candidates in Britain must not spend more than £34million in the year before a general election.
asserted
parties → exist → election
It has left Mr Farage facing the prospect of the impact of Reform's mega-donations being blunted.
asserted
It → leave → donations
The Aporia
