Protecting the UK’s Democracy: Key Electoral Reforms Recommended by Independent Experts

Independent expert bodies have provided a catalogue of recommendations to improve the UK’s political finance laws and their enforcement. From landmark reports by the Committee on Standards in Public Life and interventions by the Electoral Commission, to reports by select committees and research by civil society, academia and others. These organisations broadly agree on the problems and solutions, but successive governments have not implemented their key recommendations. This has had a corrosive effect on our political system and poses serious risks to our democracy.

In this briefing, Spotlight on Corruption and civil society partners identify 13 recommendations where there is a significant degree of consensus. The areas of agreement cover:

• proper checks on donations;
• stronger controls on donors;
• increased civil and criminal enforcement and powers;
• greater transparency;
• consolidation of electoral law and a review of offences; and
• donation caps.

If implemented, this package of reforms would substantially improve the UK’s election finance laws and enforcement regime – and would go a long way towards safeguarding our democracy and addressing plummeting levels of public trust in our politics.