Sunak says ‘transparency really important’ as Westminster Accounts focuses on MPs’ donations
The UK prime minister said there was a reason that “rules and regulations” are in place surrounding donations to MPs after the project launched on Sunday.
Sky News and Tortoise Media launched a new database of MPs’ second jobs and donations – the first time they have all been collated in one place.
Mr Sunak said: “I think transparency is really important for the healthy functioning of democracy, it’s absolutely right that there’s disclosures around donations and outside interests.
“And transparency is a good thing, and I fully support it.”
He said transparency is integral “and that’s why we have a set of rules and regulations in place”.
However, he did not answer when asked whether it was right that some MPs are being given six-figure donations.
During Mr Sunak’s first speech as prime minister, he pledged to lead the government with “integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level”.
As part of the project, a leaderboard has been compiled showing how much money external organisations and individuals have donated to MPs since the end of 2019.
These donations generally go towards campaigning or staffing and office costs, but also include declarations of gifts and hospitality.
Two of the biggest unions – Unite and GMB – top the list as the biggest donors, with some of Sir Keir Starmer’s frontbench team receiving substantial sums, as well as those to the left of the Labour Party who are no longer in favour.
The third-biggest overall donor to individual MPs – all senior Labour MPs – however, is a company registered to an office in Hertfordshire that has no website and, according to its accounts, has no employees.
MPM Connect Ltd has given £345,217 to three well-known Labour MPs: shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper (£184,317), shadow health secretary Wes Streeting (£60,900) and former mayor of South Yorkshire Dan Jarvis (£100,000).
A low-profile broadband provider from Blackburn, IX Wireless, also ranks in the top 20 donors, giving a total of £138,801 in campaign donations to 24 Conservative MPs.
The government of Qatar is the fourth-biggest donor to MPs, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs giving a total of £249,932.16 worth of benefits in kind.
