UK Tightens Rules on Overseas Political Donations Ahead of Elections

According to Lianhe Zaobao, the UK government has tightened rules on overseas-linked political donations to curb foreign influence on elections, after a review found foreign actors including Russia, China, and Iran continuing attempts to undermine the UK’s democratic system. Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said Monday, July 6, that political candidates must now declare donations of more than GBP 2,230 received before they became candidates and prove those pre-candidacy funds came from lawful sources.

The tougher rules also require individuals who moved to the UK from overseas to have been permanently resident in the UK for at least one year before making political donations of GBP 100,000 or more. For corporate donations, the assessment standard will shift from revenue to after-tax profit to ensure only companies with a legitimate connection to the UK can donate. The changes come as Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is being investigated by Parliament’s standards watchdog over whether he should have declared a GBP 5 million donation from a Thai cryptocurrency billionaire received before he announced his parliamentary candidacy.