The £5m question: Who funds our politicians?

About this episode

The episode discusses the funding of politicians and the transparency of financial interests in politics.

In this episode, we explore the rules governing MPs’ financial interests, gifts and donations, as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage faces questions over a £5 million gift from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne. Ruth and Mark are joined by Duncan Hames, a former MP and now Director of UK Policy at Transparency International, to ask whether the current transparency regime is working, whether a requirement to declare large gifts is enough on its own to protect public confidence, and whether a fixed cap on donations should also be put in place.   At a time when political donations, gifts and hospitality are under intense scrutiny, we look at what the House of Commons Code of Conduct says MPs must declare, and why the rules require members to register financial interests and benefits that might reasonably be thought to influence their actions, speeches or votes. We also examine the wisdom of moving from a rules-based system to a principles-based system.   Duncan Hames says that transparency matters because it offers a crucial safeguard against corruption and dependency. But while transparency is essential, he argues that it is no longer sufficient. With political…

People in this episode

Hosts: Ruth, Mark

Guest: Duncan Hames

Topics covered

• political donations
• transparency
• MPs' financial interests
• corruption
• public confidence

Keywords

• political donations
• transparency
• MPs
• financial interests
• corruption
• gifts
• donations

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Reform UK, Transparency International, House of Commons

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