Ministers accused of wanting to keep ‘loophole’ on foreign donations

A Lords amendment to the National Security Bill would have introduced new transparency measures on party donations received from foreign powers.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat (Kirsty O’Connor/PA) (PA Wire)

The Government has been accused of intentionally wanting to keep a ‘loophole’ in UK election law that might be letting foreign countries donate to political parties through the back door.

A Lords amendment to the National Security Bill would have introduced new transparency measures on UK-registered political parties with respect to donations received from foreign powers.

However, MPs rejected it by 254 votes to 134, majority 120, with Security Minister Tom Tugendhat insisting the law already makes “robust provision in relation to donations to political parties”.