PPERA (Political Parties and Referendums Act, 2000)

• Created and strengthened the Electoral Commission
  • Regulates elections within the UK
• Requires all donations over £5,000 to be declared
• Requires all donations over £500 to be from UK citizen/resident
• Limit on spending in each constituency
  • $£11,390 + (n \times 12p)$

Example:

PPEA (Political Elections Act, 2009)

• Strengthened the Electoral Commission
  • Power to investigate parties
  • All parties to register all donations and loans (to the party)
• Made breaching the rules a criminal offense

Criticism of Large Donations

• Large donations are not done out of support of the party but rather to buy influence
• Zia Yusef, Reform’s largest donor, now chair of the Reform Party

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Should political parties be state funded?

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