Transparency International UK

🎬 EPISODE 1: HOW BIG MONEY IS CORRUPTING UK POLITICS 🗣️ "We're in an arms race, and we're in an arms race with no guardrails" - @suehawley.bsky.social Today we publish Episode 1 of Going, Going, Almost Gone: How the Super-Rich Are Buying UK Democracy with @petergeoghegan.bsky.social 1/3

📝 BLOG Who’s really buying Britain’s new homes? As the Government pushes to build more, our new blog explains how off-plan sales, developer-linked lawyers and overseas marketing let suspicious wealth into new-build property. Read more ⤵️ www.transparency.org.uk/news/new-hom...

🆕 VIDEO More than £2.2bn of suspicious wealth has been invested in Britain’s new-build homes. But developers have no legal duty to check who’s buying or where the money comes from. Who’s really buying Britain’s new-build homes? Watch ⤵️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=t44J...

🆕 REPORT £2.2bn of suspicious wealth invested into new-build homes across England and Scotland. Developers have no legal duty to check where buyers’ money comes from. That needs to change. Read more ⤵️ www.transparency.org.uk/news/new-hom... Full report ⤵️ www.transparency.org.uk/publications...

💼✨ JOIN US ✨💼 Could you be our new Digital Communications Officer? Help our research on political finance and dirty money reach people: video, graphics, social, and the digital side of our campaigns and report launches. Find out more and apply below ⤵️ www.transparency.org.uk/who-we-are/w...

📺WATCH NOW Last week at Labour Conference, we partnered with @thefabians.bsky.social to discuss how big money is corrupting UK politics. Watch to hear from @duncanhames.bsky.social, Neal Lawson at @compassoffice.bsky.social, @stellacreasy.bsky.social & Baroness Margaret Hodge. More ⤵

💼✨ JOIN US ✨💼 Could you be our new Events and Communications Officer? We're recruiting for a six-month fixed-term role to join our team to deliver our events programme and corporate member communications. Find out more and apply below ⤵️ www.transparency.org.uk/who-we-are/w...

💷IT'S TIME TO END MEGA DONATIONS In 2015, just 1% of private donations came from contributions of more than £1m. Ten years later? That surged to 35%. We spoke with @stellacreasy.bsky.social about why stopping big money in UK politics has never been more urgent. Watch below ⤵️

💷IT'S TIME TO END MEGA DONATIONS In 2015, just 1% of private donations came from contributions of more than £1m. Ten years later? That surged to 35%. We spoke with @stellacreasy.bsky.social about why stopping big money in UK politics has never been more urgent. Watch below ⤵️

📺WATCH NOW Last week at Labour Conference, we partnered with @thefabians.bsky.social to discuss how big money is corrupting UK politics. Watch to hear from @duncanhames.bsky.social, Neal Lawson at @compassoffice.bsky.social, @stellacreasy.bsky.social & Baroness Margaret Hodge. More ⤵

💷WHOSE DEMOCRACY IS IT ANYWAY? At this year's Labour Conference, we partnered with @thefabians.bsky.social discuss how big money is corrupting UK democracy. With mega donations are record highs, stopping the super rich buying our politics has never been more urgent. 🕐It's time to cap donations.

🚨Louise Haigh agrees that mega donors with outsized influence are pernicious to democracy Yesterday at @ippr.org, Harry Quilter-Pinner rightly pointed out that big money corrupts UK politics regardless of where the money comes from. It's time for the Government to cap donations. Watch below ⤵️

The more progress the police make in acting on illicit wealth here, the more important it is to overcome the obstacles to returning proceeds of corruption to the people who lost out in the first place. Our new film explains:

🎬RETURNING STOLEN MONEY Millions of pounds of assets linked to corruption has been seized & recovered by UK authorities - so why hasn't it been returned to its victims? Our new research, Closing the Loop, identifies £64m of seized assets stuck in a policy grey area. Watch to learn more ⤵️

Today marked the end of my 7-year tenure as Chief Executive of @transparencyuk.bsky.social. I will soon join @channel4.bsky.social as Chief Corporate Affairs Officer. I am beyond grateful to the TI-UK team for their commitment, expertise, companionship and indefatigable resolve. #AntiCorruption

🎬RETURNING STOLEN MONEY Millions of pounds of assets linked to corruption has been seized & recovered by UK authorities - so why hasn't it been returned to its victims? Our new research, Closing the Loop, identifies £64m of seized assets stuck in a policy grey area. Watch to learn more ⤵️

I was pleased to meet Scotland’s First Minister @johnswinney.bsky.social earlier. Together with @muteswann.bsky.social we discussed his government’s work on an inaugural Scottish Anti-Corruption Strategy and @transparencyuk.bsky.social’s policy recommendations for the process.

🗣️"This feels rather like shutting the gate after the horse has bolted". @duncanhames.bsky.social spoke with John Pienaar at @thetimes.com on the urgency of stopping the super rich corrupting UK democracy. Listen ⤵️

🚨 GORDON BROWN: GET BIG MONEY OUT OF UK POLITICS News this weekend of Reform receiving pledges for £72m in donations from just two crypto-billionaires is a watershed moment in UK politics. No cap on donations leaves our democracy for sale to the highest bidder. 🔗Full article in link below ⤵️

💷 TODAY: Peers debate big money in UK politics Reports that Reform UK secured £72m in pledges from two crypto-billionaires is a watershed moment. But it's not new. UK politics' dependency on mega donors risks corruption & policy capture by the super rich. It's time to cap donations. Watch ⤵️

We are not the only ones who think there should be some limits placed on the money in politics. Some of these might even surprise you, so please do watch and share. What do *you* think?

💷 TODAY: Peers debate big money in UK politics Reports that Reform UK secured £72m in pledges from two crypto-billionaires is a watershed moment. But it's not new. UK politics' dependency on mega donors risks corruption & policy capture by the super rich. It's time to cap donations. Watch ⤵️

So this episode has become awfully timely… not going to lie, wasn’t expecting things to escalate THIS much…

🚨Surge in billionaire money in UK politics hits record high Reports today that two crypto-billionaires have pledged a combined £72million to Reform UK highlight the urgent need for a donations cap. Full statement below ⤵️

These short films were not meant to be prophetic. The idea was that we should act to protect our democracy before it is too late:

Gov's overseas voter donor cap is: - overly complicated - designed to target one man and one party - fails to do that effectively - misses the point (that it's big donors generally, not just Harborne that are the problem) Cap all donations and then we're talking! observer.co.uk/news/politic...

🆕 New research finds seized assets at risk of not returning to victims At least £9.6m in suspected corrupt Azerbaijani wealth has been kept by the UK instead of returned and a further £64m at risk of the same fate. This suspect money should be returned to its victims. Read Closing the Loop ⤵️

Reform UK foreign donation allegations: @transparencyuk.bsky.social’s @duncanhames.bsky.social analyses the @channel4news.bsky.social findings with @lbc.co.uk’s @mrjamesob.bsky.social #UKPolitics

🚨 TI-UK STATEMENT Revelations that Reform officials allegedly plotted to break the law on foreign donations should worry everyone who cares about UK democracy. This story underlines how big money is corrupting UK politics, and the urgent need for a meaningful cap on donations. More ⤵️

🆕 TI-UK STATEMENT MPs are debating whether the super rich can continue to donate unlimited sums to our politics. We urge the PM to commit to new political finance legislation in the next King’s Speech if a donations cap is not added today. Read more below ⤵️

MPS DEBATE BILLIONAIRE DONORS TOMORROW Today @stellacreasy.bsky.social asked the PM whether he will commit to a donations cap before the next election. Hear more ⤵️

🆕 EP3: CAN BRITISH DEMOCRACY BE SAVED? Andy Burnham enters Downing Street inheriting a political funding problem his predecessor promised to tackle and didn't. Three months ago, he even backed a cap on donations himself. The final episode of our series w/ PeterGeoghegan is out now ⤵

Catch up on our series on money in politics with @petergeoghegan.bsky.social. Follow the links below ⤵️

🆕 EP3: CAN BRITISH DEMOCRACY BE SAVED? Andy Burnham enters Downing Street inheriting a political funding problem his predecessor promised to tackle and didn't. Three months ago, he even backed a cap on donations himself. The final episode of our series w/ PeterGeoghegan is out now ⤵

🆕 EPISODE 2: HOW MEGA DONATIONS DESTROY PUBLIC TRUST More than four in five Britons (83%) believe wealthy individuals use political donations to influence the government in their own personal interests. Watch episode 2 now of our new series with @petergeoghegan.bsky.social ⤵

🗣️"In a democracy, politics is meant to be serving the public interest". @duncanhames.bsky.social in Ep. 2 of 'Going, Going, Almost Gone: How the super rich are buying UK democracy', releasing tomorrow. Catch up on Ep. 1 & subscribe to our channel to not miss it ⤵️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn-G...

🗣"If you're in power as a government, you want to stay in power." @suehawley.bsky.social Politicians have a conflict of interest. What they decide on donations can impact their own careers. But other countries like Aus & Canada have broken the money trap. It's time the UK did the same. More ⤵️

🗣"If you're in power as a government, you want to stay in power." @suehawley.bsky.social Politicians have a conflict of interest. What they decide on donations can impact their own careers. But other countries like Aus & Canada have broken the money trap. It's time the UK did the same. More ⤵️

Very happy that episode one is finally out! Hear from Faiza below and do watch the episode one! Episode two out Monday :)

With no cap on individual donations, a handful of political mega-donors can buy unrivalled access to power. And with that access comes influence to advance their own interests. Amid reports the government has decided against a donations cap, this series is essential viewing 👇 buff.ly/R4LtZJI