Stop Billionaires From Buying Politics

Nigel Farage has spent the past few days denying wrongdoing after an undercover investigation raised allegations that senior Reform figures sought to break laws banning foreign political donations. The footage shows Farage saying the proposed funding arrangement was ‘all above board’; his latest defence is that he ‘frankly wasn’t even listening’.

The prime minister might have found this a perfect opportunity to champion his proposed cap on political donations. After all, 83 percent of people think the rich use donations to buy influence. Most aren’t happy about British billionaires calling the shots.

Unfortunately, in what is becoming something of a theme, Burnham has already backtracked on his own excellent proposal.

The Channel 4 and Verbatim investigation deserves a serious response. The allegations must be properly investigated and restrictions on foreign funding enforced. But there is a larger question that neither Reform, Labour, nor indeed the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats should be allowed to dodge: why should anyone with a few million pounds to spare be allowed to buy themselves a bigger say in our politics?

We’re told that as long as donations are declared and the rules are followed, there’s nothing wrong with the status quo. But it’s obvious that when political parties become financially dependent on donations from the ultra-wealthy, they’ll be anxious about losing that support. Being able to look up the amount changes nothing about the dynamics of that relationship.

We only accept this as normal because it’s been happening for so long. It is blatantly corrosive to our democracy to allow the purchase of political influence. And we’re living with the consequences of a system where the super-rich can generally get their way.

It’s particularly dispiriting to see a new prime minister take office and immediately begin to abandon a whole series of progressive pledges. Thames Water nationalisation, rent controls, ring-fenced social housing funding, the political donations cap itself — all things that would have benefited ordinary people and angered a wealthy minority.

Many people hoped that a change of leader might push Labour in a better direction, and I would never criticise anyone for holding on to that hope. But giving Burnham a chance cannot mean giving Labour a blank cheque.

The problem is far bigger than Burnham. It’s our entire political system that needs fixing.

Whatever the prime minister may personally believe, he’s under serious pressure not to break with the status quo. His own chancellor, John Healey, described this as a continuity government. That means refusing to confront powerful interests or risk the anger of wealthy donors.

My colleague Dr Ellie Chowns MP has already tabled an amendment to ban corporate donations to political parties. Alongside a cap on individual donations, such a ban is sorely needed to rebalance power and ensure ordinary voters have a real say.

Even with the deck stacked as it is, popular pressure on the government has had some influence. Hannah Spencer’s victory in Gorton and Denton — a seat that wasn’t even among Greens’ top 100 targets — showed Labour that taking left-leaning voters for granted comes with a cost.

Voters switching to the Greens have forced Labour to change its rhetoric and — let’s be honest — are probably the main reason we’ve got Burnham as prime minister instead of someone like Wes Streeting.

But a change in rhetoric means nothing if it’s not backed up by action. So far, it seems that electoral pressure has not been enough to overcome the influence of big money. Losing more parliamentary seats would make that pressure harder for the government to ignore.

Only a democratic, grassroots party that answers to its voters and members, not ultra-rich donors and corporate lobbyists, can deliver the scale of change our country needs. Every Green win brings that alternative closer while also pushing the government to act now.

That’s why the upcoming by-election in Holborn and St Pancras matters so much. If Labour wins, the government will conclude that it can carry on as usual without paying an electoral price. A Green victory would show that voters are demanding something better — and that ignoring them can cost Labour seats. It would force Labour to think again and give Greens more power to fight for the changes people want.

It will be a tough campaign, and we aren’t the favourites. But we know we can win here with small donations and thousands of members pounding the streets. Together, we can elect a Green MP who will work hard for the people of Holborn and St Pancras and make sure their concerns are heard in Parliament.

Burnham should keep his promise to cap donations. If he needs a reminder that all voters deserve an equal voice, no matter their bank balance, Holborn and St Pancras will provide one.