Political Party Donations - what to do? How do we stop donors buying policies?

 Stopping donors to political parties from buying political influence will require a mix of financial caps, public funding, and strict transparency rules. 

Cap and Ban Large Donations

Limit individual amounts: Set strict caps on how much a single person, company, or organization can donate to a political party. Reformers proposals often suggest limits ranging from £10,000 to £100,000, though higher limits or resistance from major interest groups have stalled these changes in the past and threaten to do so today.
Block foreign and shell-company money: Require corporate donors to prove a genuine domestic economic connection—such as being active UK taxpayers or majority-owned by local citizens—to stop foreign entities from funneling cash through shell companies.

Implement Public Financing

Match small donations: Use public funds to match small individual donations and modest membership fees. This would force politicians to seek broad grassroots support rather than relying on a handful of mega-donors as they currently do.
Provide per-vote allocations: Distribute state funding to parties based on the share of votes they received in past elections, ensuring smaller parties still have a voice while maintaining fair safeguards.
Lower Spending Limits
Reduce campaign caps: Lower the legal limits on how much political parties can spend during national campaigns and leadership contests. This would reduce the constant pressure on politicians to chase huge sums of private cash. How to stop wealthy donors setting up so called political think tanks who then publish reports and advertise without financial limits is an issue (the Elephant in the Room?).
Increase Transparency and Enforcement
Real-time reporting: Publish all political donations and loans online in real time. 
Lower reporting thresholds: Reduce the minimum financial threshold before a donation must be formally declared to regulators like the Electoral Commission. 
Empower watchdogs: Grant regulatory bodies stronger legal powers and resources to audit funding sources and penalize rule-breakers immediately