Great spot by @josiahmortimer.bsky.social - this is a really big and welcome step by the government but will it be enough? The next government could raise them again so the government needs to lock in the new elections bill that they can ONLY be raised following a recommendation from the Commission

Josiah Mortimer@josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 4w ago

The Government has just asked the Electoral Commission to review election spending limits, which were massively hiked by the Tories. Could be very significant.

The Government has just asked the Electoral Commission to review election spending limits, which were massively hiked by the Tories. Could be very significant.

Fascinating report commissioned by the Electoral Commission using citizen deliberation on political finance. Key findings 1️⃣ the public want donation caps 2️⃣ they want public funding 3️⃣ they want more enforcement and tougher penalties media.nesta.org.uk/documents/Po...

What next for standards in public life? Join Baroness (Ruth) Anderson, @suehawley.bsky.social and @markpackuk.bsky.social and Doug Chalmers to discuss what has and needs to be done to strengthen standards at our free, online conference next Thursday. Sign up 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo....

Important breaking story about former Nigerian oil minister being acquitted by a jury of all bribery charges.

Spotlight on Corruption@spotlightcorruption.org · 2mo ago

1. 🚨 BREAKING: Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former oil minister, has been acquitted of bribery charges, following a decade long corruption investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) 🧵 www.reuters.com/world/africa...

Very stern letter from the Independent Advisor on Ministerial Standards to Ann Marie Trevelyan about breaching the revolving door rules at Babcock. Unfortunately, the Sunak government failed to introduce proposed financial sanctions so a stern letter is all she will get: www.gov.uk/government/p...

Correspondence: Anne Marie-Trevelyan, Strategic Advisor, Babcock International Group Plc

gov.uk

As the government looks to crack down on immigration, it is actively exploring how to attract the very rich through a new "golden visa" programme. These programmes bring little economic benefit to the UK and are a magnet for dirty money. @appgonacrt.bsky.social @philbrickellmp.bsky.social

Spotlight on Corruption@spotlightcorruption.org · 3mo ago

1. 🤦‍♀️ It is deeply concerning & frustrating that govt is once again being led down the garden path to reintroduce ‘golden visas’. Last summer, we wrote to the Chancellor with @ukanticorruptioncoalition.org highlighting golden visa’s illicit finance risks & lack of economic benefit. 🧵

1. 💪🏻 V welcome to see Sir Laurie Magnus – Independent Adviser on Ministerial Standards – flex his muscles in policing the revolving door yesterday with his Grant Shapps letter – but the rules he has to police are hopelessly inadequate & need a major overhaul 🧵 www.standard.co.uk/news/politic...

1) 💥 NEW: It's very encouraging to hear the Justice Secretary David Lammy recommit to tackling SLAPPs – abusive legal tactics used by the rich and powerful to silence critics – but much more urgency is needed in delivering on this promise. 🧵

Independent Advisor on Ministerial Standards has issued a stinging rebuke to Grant Shapps about breaching the revolving door rules in his employment with Cambridge Aerospace. But under the old rules the only sanction is a stinging rebuke ... www.gov.uk/government/p...

Correspondence: Grant Shapps, Chair, Cambridge Aerospace

gov.uk

What next for standards in public life? Join Cabinet Office minister Baroness (Ruth) Anderson and @suehawley.bsky.social to discuss if the government has taken sufficient steps to strengthen standards in public life, and what more remains to be done. Sign up 👉 www.ucl.ac.uk/social-histo....

Well one thing is for sure - judge only trials without a very strong cadre of good judges is going to be hard to pull off … great piece by Rachel Sylvester on the crisis at the top of the judiciary and growing pressures they face. observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

The vacuum at the very top of the judiciary | The Observer

The government plans to increase the importance of judges in the criminal justice system by reducing the number of jury trials, but a very key position is being left empty

observer.co.uk

Excellent point from @suehawley.bsky.social as part of the Rycroft review, er, review, on enforcing the law around election rules; advocating a ten-year maximum sentence to set a high enough bar for an offence to be deemed serious enough for the NCA to consider.

Usagi@usagi3939.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Seriously enjoyed this round-up of the key points in the review, by the way. bsky.app/profile/spot...

📻 Our director @suehawley.bsky.social spoke to LBC News yesterday to welcome the Rycroft Review and: 💷 the UK's first ever cap on political donations 🚫 the immediate ban on crypto donations But she urged the government to waste no time in implementing Rycroft's wider recommendations ⏰ ⬇️

The new ‘Know Your Donor’ regime is very welcome and something that we have long been calling for, but if it is to be effective it needs to be tightened and safeguarded from being overridden by ministerial intervention.

💰 🗓️ Campaign spending limits for political parties should apply all year to avoid parties gaming the system and risks of foreign interference. Our director, @suehawley.bsky.social gave evidence to MPs on why transparency and fairness matter in an age of permanent political campaigning. 🧵 ⬇️

Following a third investigation by the standards commissioner in the Lords, Labour peer who introduced a firm in which he had a financial interest to the #COVID #PPE lane, has finally fallen on his sword. Great work by David Conn and @cbffjuk.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Tory peer to leave House of Lords after investigation finds he breached standards over Covid PPE deals

Lord Chadlington introduced government to supplier in which he had financial interest in 2020

theguardian.com

Our submission to the Bill Committee goes into a lot more detail - click on the link at the bottom for the full document. And I'm sure @suehawley.bsky.social can run you through it if you're interested in following up?

Submission to the Public Office (Accountability) Bill committee, November 2025 - Spotlight on Corruption

spotlightcorruption.org

🎉 Really positive news coming from parliament that the government will scrap the Strategy and Policy Statement for the @electoralcommission.org.uk. ⚠️ We previously warned about the risks of keeping the statement in place in our report, Democracy in Danger 🧵 ⬇️

Democracy in danger: why the government must restore the Electoral Commission’s full independence - Spotlight on Corruption

A fully independent Electoral Commission is critical to ensuring the integrity of UK elections, and maintaining public confidence that elections are run fairly.

spotlightcorruption.org

It is also a long way from the radical overhaul that former PM Gordon Brown called for at the weekend, and which is desperately needed. A ‘tinkering’ mindset on ethics reform is not enough to restore public trust. Here’s our executive director @suehawley.bsky.social’s take from earlier today 👇

No more tinkering – root and branch reform of how politicians are held to account is now essential - Spotlight on Corruption

There is rightly huge public demand that Mandelson and those who saw fit to appoint him face meaningful accountability.

spotlightcorruption.org

Darren Jones has set out various things that the government is "considering" to bolster how ethics are upheld, including: - considering changing the process for declaration of financial interests - looking closely at how lobbying is managed - revisiting the guidance on the use of informal comms...

💥 With public opinion of politicians at rock bottom, the government must urgently commit to root-and-branch reform of the way standards in public life are regulated or risk the future of the UK’s democracy, says @suehawley.bsky.social.

No more tinkering – root and branch reform of how politicians are held to account is now essential - Spotlight on Corruption

There is rightly huge public demand that Mandelson and those who saw fit to appoint him face meaningful accountability.

spotlightcorruption.org

With an announcement due on beefing up ethics at 4pm ish (if political events don’t overtake it) here’s our take on where the government has gone wrong on restoring public trust so far and what needs to happen now @appgonacrt.bsky.social @joepowell.bsky.social @philbrickellmp.bsky.social

Spotlight on Corruption@spotlightcorruption.org · 6mo ago

💥 With public opinion of politicians at rock bottom, the government must urgently commit to root-and-branch reform of the way standards in public life are regulated or risk the future of the UK’s democracy, says @suehawley.bsky.social.

On Monday (9 Feb) MPs will debate a petition on Russian influence on UK politics and democracy. Dan Jarvis MP, Minister of State, is expected to respond on behalf of the Government.

💰Today the Solicitors Regulation Authority has been told it’s on the hook for more than half a million pounds in legal costs to Claire Gill, after the regulator’s #SLAPPs case failed against the Carter-Ruck partner who acted for the $4 billion crypto-scam OneCoin.

Brilliant work by @patmillsuk.bsky.social which is turning out to be like a union for millionaires with a conscience. With great coverage in @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires call for higher taxes on super-rich

Mark Ruffalo, Brian Eno and Abigail Disney sign letter timed for WEF in Davos saying wealthy are buying political influence

theguardian.com

Patriotic Millionaires UK@patmillsuk.bsky.social · 7mo ago

When even millionaires, like us, recognise that extreme wealth has cost everyone else everything else, there can be no doubt that society is dangerously teetering off the edge of a precipice. We want our democracies back. We want our communities back. We want our future back.

When even millionaires, like us, recognise that extreme wealth has cost everyone else everything else, there can be no doubt that society is dangerously teetering off the edge of a precipice. We want our democracies back. We want our communities back. We want our future back.

🎉 🥳 #UNCAC #CoSP11 adopted resolution on political finance transparency, making it the first-ever set of principles agreed at UN-level to promote accountability in funding of political parties and campaigns. Congrats, Norway, Albania, Ghana, Mongolia @anticorruption.bsky.social @ifes.bsky.social!

🚨BREAKING: The Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal dismisses the case against Carter-Ruck's Claire Gill, in a shock decision that could give the green light for lawyers to continue to push the boundaries of what constitutes abusive litigation. #SLAPPs

Spotlight on Corruption@spotlightcorruption.org · 8mo ago

📣 Today the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal will hear an application on behalf of Claire Gill, a partner at the libel law firm Carter-Ruck, to strike out proceedings commenced against her by the Solicitors Regulation Authority for allegedly making an “improper threat of litigation”.

@duncanhames.bsky.social of Transparency International has called for an investigation into this "cash for access operation" As @suehawley.bsky.social says “It should not have to take undercover reporting to lift the lid on murky secretive access.”