Member

Whether we like it or not, obscene wealth is increasingly dictating who is heard, what issues are being prioritised and whose interests shape policy decisions. That was the finding of the Rycroft review. The review was asked to look at foreign interference, but the arguments it made about sums of money do not have a postcode. The point is about the volume, not the location. The public will not forgive us if we do not recognise that and the impact it is having. Indeed, 84% of the public believe that wealthy individuals use political donations to advance their personal interests, and there is widespread public support for a cap on all donations. Frankly, the donations cap that the public are thinking of is much lower than anything in new clause 120—indeed, for most people, the sums we are talking about are astronomical. Christopher Harbone’s gift of £9 million to Reform in 2025 would take the average person 3,000 years to match, even if they donated all their savings.