Defending Democracy

National Security Strategy (Joint Committee) Open Inquiry
Opened: 24 Feb 2025 Parliament page
20 Recommendations
3 Conclusions
1 Report
4 Oral sessions
11 Letters
4 Events
Activity timeline 17 events
15 Jul
2026
Report published
23 Jun
2026
Correspondence
18 Mar
2026
Report published
16 Mar
2026
Correspondence
16 Mar
2026
Correspondence
24 Feb
2026
Correspondence
9 Feb
2026
Oral evidence
9 Feb
2026
Correspondence
12 Jan
2026
Oral evidence
21 Oct
2025
Correspondence
8 Sep
2025
Oral evidence
17 Jul
2025
Correspondence
Oral evidence sessions 4 sessions
9 Feb 2026
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Graeme Biggar CBE · National Crime Agency Rachael Herbert · National Crime Agency
12 Jan 2026
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Dr Sam Power · University of Bristol Duncan Hames · Transparency International UK Natasha Powell · Kraken Digital Asset Exchange Tom Keatinge · RUSI
8 Sep 2025
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The NSS - Political finance (inc. crypto)
Dr Susan Hawley · Spotlight on Corruption Ian Taylor · CryptoUK Jackie Killeen · Electoral Commission Peter Geoghegan · openDemocracy Vijay Rangarajan · Electoral Commission
17 Mar 2025
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Defending Democracy
Dan Jarvis MP · Home Office Nanyamka Brown · Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Shaun Hipgrave · Home Office The Baroness Jones of Whitchurch · Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Title HC No. Published Items Response
3rd Report - Political finance and foreign influence HC 720 18 Mar 2026 23 Response document linked
Recommendations & Conclusions
23 results
1 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The risk of foreign influence in the UK’s political finance system is real.
The risk of foreign influence in the UK’s political finance system is real. We believe the threat is likely to grow out to the next election, particularly as the value of influencing the UK’s position on international policy increases. The … Read more
Cabinet Office
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2 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The governance and accountability arrangements for criminal enforcement of illegal political finance interference are inadequate.
The governance and accountability arrangements for criminal enforcement of illegal political finance interference are inadequate. Responsibilities and capabilities are dispersed across the Electoral Commission, the Metropolitan Police Service, Counter Terrorism Policing, MI5, the National Crime Agency, the National Police Chiefs’ … Read more
Cabinet Office
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3 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The Government should establish a centralised Political Finance Enforcement Unit.
The Government should establish a centralised Political Finance Enforcement Unit. This should be a joint unit, which could be housed in the National Crime Agency. It should hold the overall national lead and accountability for proactive assessments and criminal investigations … Read more
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4 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The Unit should have formalised information sharing agreements with the parent organisations of participating personnel,...
The Unit should have formalised information sharing agreements with the parent organisations of participating personnel, to ensure the parent organisation’s powers may be deployed during the course of investigations. (Recommendation, Paragraph 48) Crypto Read more
Cabinet Office
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5 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
Crypto donations pose an unnecessary and unacceptably high risk to the integrity of the political...
Crypto donations pose an unnecessary and unacceptably high risk to the integrity of the political finance system and public trust in it. We accept that future regulations may institutionalise the use of alternative payment systems for use in donations. At … Read more
Cabinet Office
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6 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
Crypto also poses wider upstream risks to the integrity of political finance: donors can convert...
Crypto also poses wider upstream risks to the integrity of political finance: donors can convert ‘dirty’ foreign crypto funds into ‘clean’ UK fiat and then donate it without arousing much suspicion. A ‘last mile’ ban on crypto donations is therefore … Read more
Cabinet Office
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7 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The Government should introduce a binding moratorium on crypto donations as an amendment to the...
The Government should introduce a binding moratorium on crypto donations as an amendment to the Representation of the People Bill. This moratorium should remain in place until the Electoral Commission has issued statutory guidance on crypto donations which applies to … Read more
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8 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The Representation of the People Bill contains inexplicable deficiencies on corporate donations.
The Representation of the People Bill contains inexplicable deficiencies on corporate donations. We support limiting donations to those carrying out meaningful activity in the UK. However, the Bill contains a loophole, which would allow companies to donate the upper limit … Read more
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9 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The Government should amend Part 4 of the Representation of the People Bill to specify...
The Government should amend Part 4 of the Representation of the People Bill to specify that limits on corporate donations apply to the total amount per company, rather than per recipient. (Recommendation, Paragraph 77) 39 Criminal liability for acting as … Read more
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10 Conclusion
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The Representation of the People Bill does not include strong enough safeguards to prevent UK...
The Representation of the People Bill does not include strong enough safeguards to prevent UK subsidiaries donating on behalf of foreign parent companies or wealthy individuals. There are further loopholes enabling donors to receive large sums of foreign money in … Read more
Cabinet Office
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11 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
We welcome the Government’s commitment to commence Section 54A of the Political Parties, Elections and...
We welcome the Government’s commitment to commence Section 54A of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act. But the provisions need more work to adequately address concerns about donors acting as conduits for foreign money. We are sceptical about simply … Read more
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12 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The Government should amend the Representation of the People Bill to introduce an alternative version...
The Government should amend the Representation of the People Bill to introduce an alternative version of Section 54A in primary legislation. This would create a critical mechanism to implement much needed changes. (Recommendation, Paragraph 92)
Cabinet Office
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13 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The alternative version of Section 54A should reduce the declaration threshold of funds received in...
The alternative version of Section 54A should reduce the declaration threshold of funds received in connection with a donation to £500. This would limit the risk of foreign money being channelled through permissible donors. (Recommendation, Paragraph 93) Read more
Cabinet Office
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14 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The alternative version of Section 54A should specify that the relevant persons are liable if...
The alternative version of Section 54A should specify that the relevant persons are liable if they fail to act on ‘reasonable grounds to suspect’ that a false declaration or otherwise impermissible donation is being facilitated. Such changes would bring the … Read more
Cabinet Office
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15 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The alternative version of Section 54A should specify that a regulated recipient may not accept...
The alternative version of Section 54A should specify that a regulated recipient may not accept a donation where there is ‘reasonable grounds to suspect’ that it derives from an impermissible foreign source, or has been provided in connection with an … Read more
Cabinet Office
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16 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The Government should amend the Representation of the People Bill to increase maximum custodial sentences...
The Government should amend the Representation of the People Bill to increase maximum custodial sentences to three years for the most serious breaches of political finance laws involving impermissible foreign money. This would improve deterrence and also enable law enforcement … Read more
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17 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The Government should review options to reduce the risk of foreign money entering UK political...
The Government should review options to reduce the risk of foreign money entering UK political finance via individual donors whose primary long- term residence is overseas. For example, individual donors whose primary residence is overseas could be required to have … Read more
Cabinet Office
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18 Conclusion
3rd Report - Political finance and…
We welcome the proposed improvement to the Electoral Commission’s data sharing powers under Clause 69.
We welcome the proposed improvement to the Electoral Commission’s data sharing powers under Clause 69. (Conclusion, Paragraph 107)
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19 Conclusion
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The Electoral Commission needs new powers to ask for information about whether the source of...
The Electoral Commission needs new powers to ask for information about whether the source of funds used in political donations is permissible. This is vital to ensuring effective deterrence and enabling the regulator to identify risks of foreign money. At … Read more
Cabinet Office
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20 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The Government should create a power for the Electoral Commission to compel financial institutions to...
The Government should create a power for the Electoral Commission to compel financial institutions to provide information relating to the source funds used in regulated political donations and regulated campaign spending. This power should also apply to crypto currency platforms. … Read more
Cabinet Office
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21 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The Electoral Commission and law enforcement should have powers to receive relevant information from HM...
The Electoral Commission and law enforcement should have powers to receive relevant information from HM Revenue and Customs in connection with an investigation into suspicions of foreign money. We further recommend exploring options to make better use of existing powers, … Read more
Cabinet Office
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22 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
The Government’s legislative changes will only be meaningful if the Electoral Commission, police and National...
The Government’s legislative changes will only be meaningful if the Electoral Commission, police and National Crime Agency are adequately resourced to enforce the rules. (Conclusion, Paragraph 123)
Cabinet Office
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23 Recommendation
3rd Report - Political finance and…
We recommend the Electoral Commission, Metropolitan Police Service and National Crime Agency provide an annual...
We recommend the Electoral Commission, Metropolitan Police Service and National Crime Agency provide an annual resourcing update to this Committee. This should set out their resourcing levels and the extent to which these are adequate to deliver on objectives to … Read more
Cabinet Office
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Correspondence 11 letters
23 Jun 2026 The Electoral Commission's response to the Committee's report on political finance and foreign influence, dated 20 May 2026
Parliament page
16 Mar 2026 From committee Letter to the Commissioner, Metropolitan Police relating to Political finance, dated 12 February, and their response, dated 5 March 2026
Parliament page
16 Mar 2026 To committee Response from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government relating to political finance, dated 9 March
Parliament page
24 Feb 2026 To committee Letter from the Chair to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government relating to political finance, dated 23 February 2026
Parliament page
9 Feb 2026 To committee Letter from the Chair to Vijay Rangarajan, Chief Executive, Electoral Commission, dated 21 January 2026, relating to political finance, and the response, dated 5 February 2026
Parliament page
21 Oct 2025 Correspondence from Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Security Minister relating to the Defending Democracy Taskforce, dated 15 October 2025
Parliament page
17 Jul 2025 Correspondence to Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Security Minister relating to the Defending Democracy Taskforce, dated 16 July 2025
Parliament page
1 May 2025 Correspondence from Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Security Minister following oral evidence held on 17 March on Defending Democracy, dated 16 April 2025
Parliament page
1 May 2025 Correspondence to Dan Jarvis MBE MP, Security Minister following oral evidence held on 17 March on Defending Democracy, dated 28 March 2025
Parliament page
1 May 2025 To committee Letter from Ofcom on Defending Democracy and the Online Safety Act, dated 23 April 2025
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1 May 2025 From committee Letter to Ofcom on Defending Democracy and the Online Safety Act, dated 28 March 2025
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