Strengthening democracy by cleaning up politics and raising standards in public life
Transparency, integrity, and accountability are of critical importance to any functioning democratic system. The UK is no exception. The past few years have shown just how fragile democracy can be, with growing evidence of foreign interference in the UK’s politics from corrupt actors and repressive regimes. We urgently need to address weaknesses that leave the UK’s decision-making processes vulnerable to exploitation.
Lax rules around lobbying and political donations mean that the UK is open to real and perceived foreign interference, both of which undermine trust in politicians and decision-makers. Although these rules have long been criticised, action to improve them has been far too slow. With new threats posed by digital campaigning, particularly a lack of accountability for online political advertising, demands for change have become even more pressing.
To support these reforms, we need leaders, decision-makers, and public officials that act with honesty and integrity. Clearer guidance, stronger institutions, and robust sanctions act as safeguards against those who, intentionally or otherwise, break rules designed to protect British democracy. We need to overhaul the UK’s standards governance regime to ensure it is coherent, strategic, and fit for the challenges of the 21st century.
The UK Government should:
Protect the integrity of elections by bringing in tighter transparency and accountability controls on who can make political donations, how much can be donated, and online campaigning.
Introduce a statutory public register of lobbyists that covers both in-house and consultant lobbyists, provides sufficient detail on meetings between lobbyists and key decision-makers, and publishes information publicly, in a timely manner and in publicly accessible formats.
Establish a centralised function to publicly record and manage conflicts of interest
in government, and make this available to all key stakeholders.
Overhaul the UK’s patchwork system for standards governance and introduce a ‘corruption in public office’ offence to ensure there are meaningful sanctions for those who egregiously break the law.
Protect the independence of the media and judiciary.