Sir Keir Starmer has authorised an “urgent” review into the extent of foreign interference in British politics, as he prepares to change the law to tighten donation rules.
Ministers have initiated a rapid inquiry into current financial rules on donations and election safeguards, which will report at the end of March.
It will be led by Philip Rycroft, the former permanent secretary of the Brexit department.
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The inquiry is a direct response to the jailing of Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales, who admitted accepting tens of thousands of pounds in cash to make pro-Russian statements to the media and European Parliament.
In this case, officers said that they believed some individuals had a direct link to Vladimir Putin.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed, who announced the inquiry to the Commons on Tuesday, wants Mr Rycroft to assess how well the rules work at the moment and promised the report will be published in full.
Mr Reed told MPs that the “conduct [of Gill] is a stain on our democracy”.
“The independent review will work to remove that stain,” he said.
The review could then lead to changes in the Elections Bill, due this spring, which could significantly change the way elections are financed.
Tuesday’s announcement is likely to ignite a firestorm of criticism.
Among the changes that could result from the Rycroft report could be a clampdown on cryptocurrency donations, which Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said in the past would be a direct attack on his party.
It could introduce new rules for donations to thinktanks, which fall outside any regulatory regime at the moment, and could see new rules around foreign donations.
Foreign donors can effectively give money if they have a trading UK subsidiary at the moment.
The government has already promised to…
