Tighten the rules on political donations
The Parliament petitions site records 144,783 signatures for this petition, which closed on 22 July 2025. The Government responded on 26 February 2025. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 31 March 2025.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Tighten the rules on political donations
We want the government to:
Remove loopholes that allow wealthy foreign individuals to make donations into UK political parties (e.g. by funnelling through UK registered companies).
Cap all donations to a reasonable amount.
Review limits on the fines that can be levied for breaking the rules
We think that ultra-rich individuals or foreign state actors should not be able to use their money to give unfair advantage to a political party in order to further their own agenda.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 26 February 2025; the petitions site lists the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government as responsible. Its summary:
The Government is committed to protecting our democracy by strengthening the rules around donations to political parties and is currently developing proposals to give effect to this commitment.
The response in full:
The UK has a strong political finance framework which makes it clear that only those with a legitimate interest in UK elections can make political donations. Foreign donations are not permitted, with the exception of donations from certain Irish sources to Northern Irish political parties. This recognises the special place of Ireland in the political life and culture of Northern Ireland and is consistent with the principles set out in the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement. Accepting or facilitating an illegitimate foreign donation is rightly a criminal offence.
While it is clear that foreign donations to political parties and other campaigners are illegal, the Government recognises the continued risk posed by actors who seek to interfere with and undermine our democratic processes. We do not think the current rules are strong enough. That is why we made the commitment in our manifesto to strengthen the rules around donations to political parties.
There are currently no plans to put a cap on donations. Political parties play a vital role in our democracy, and it is important that they are able to fundraise effectively and communicate with the electorate. By law it is already the responsibility of political parties to take all reasonable steps to verify the identity of a donor and whether they are permissible. The Government will take any necessary steps to ensure those requirements are tightened and abided by.
The Electoral Commission plays an important role in the UK’s democratic system as the regulator of political finance. Robust regulation and enforcement of political finance rules are crucial for promoting public confidence in democratic processes, ensuring their integrity, and combatting the threat of foreign interference. As part of delivering on our commitment to strengthen the rules around political donations, we are also reviewing whether any changes are required to the role and powers of the regulator to ensure enforcement provides a clear deterrent against breaking the law whilst remaining proportionate.
The Government is currently developing proposals to give effect to these commitments and will introduce legislative measures in due course. In doing so, we are carefully considering evidence from a range of stakeholders, including recommendations from parliamentary committees and the Electoral Commission.
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies. Measured against each constituency's electorate at the 2024 general election, the most came from Brighton Pavilion, with 11.8 signatures per 1,000 electors (882 in all).
143,707 of the signatures were from the UK and 1,076 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures | Electorate, July 2024 | Per 1,000 electors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton Pavilion | 882 | 74,786 | 11.8 |
| Edinburgh North and Leith | 662 | 78,411 | 8.4 |
| Sheffield Central | 501 | 60,594 | 8.3 |
| Leeds Central and Headingley | 577 | 70,554 | 8.2 |
| Bristol Central | 490 | 62,735 | 7.8 |
| Lewisham North | 556 | 74,205 | 7.5 |
| Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven | 504 | 68,784 | 7.3 |
| York Central | 576 | 79,557 | 7.2 |
| Edinburgh East and Musselburgh | 531 | 76,188 | 7.0 |
| Glasgow North | 464 | 67,579 | 6.9 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| London | 23,038 |
| South East | 21,104 |
| North West | 14,708 |
| Scotland | 14,136 |
| South West | 13,014 |
| East of England | 12,691 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 10,555 |
| West Midlands | 9,820 |
| East Midlands | 9,149 |
| Wales | 6,797 |
| North East | 4,990 |
| Northern Ireland | 2,113 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 31 March 2025. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/707189.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
ee07f6f6f476bb6d… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.