Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Starmer urged to change donation rules amid talk of Musk bankrolling Reform
The Guardian ^ | Wed 18 Dec 2024 | Pippa Crerar

Posted on 12/23/2024 4:07:22 PM PST by MinorityRepublican

Keir Starmer must strengthen the rules around political donations to protect the electoral system from foreign interference, the Electoral Commission has said, amid rising concerns about Elon Musk’s plans to donate millions of pounds to Reform UK.

Vijay Rangarajan, chief executive of the elections watchdog, said that linking donations to political parties to the UK profits of companies owned by foreigners was one of the urgent changes needed to retain the trust of voters.

The move, which the Guardian understands is being considered by the government, could cap the amount that Musk, the world’s richest man, could donate through the British arm of his social media company X (formerly Twitter).

Twitter UK’s latest publicly available accounts show pre-tax profits of £8.5m in 2022, on a turnover of £205m, substantially lower than the $100m (£80m) that Musk was initially said to be willing to donate.

After a meeting with Musk this week at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s Florida estate, Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, said the multi-billionaire was giving “serious thought” to bankrolling the party.

The prospect has been met with alarm inside the Labour government, with sources suggesting that it would “not be within the spirit” of the existing party funding rules and that it underlined the need for the legislation to be tightened up.

Electoral law in the UK currently stipulates that all donations and loans to political parties worth more than £500 should come from “permissible donors” registered in the UK. These include voters on the electoral register or companies registered in the UK.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; Politics/Elections; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: 4threich; attainder; grauniad; keirstalin; labour; musk; starmer; twotierkeir

1 posted on 12/23/2024 4:07:22 PM PST by MinorityRepublican
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican
So it’s all fine and dandy when Soros does it but God forbid Elon toss a few gold coins into the mix. Oh, that must be stopped tout de suite.
2 posted on 12/23/2024 4:19:14 PM PST by cross_bearer_02
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

But he was fine getting his party involved in our election.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/labour-staffers-flood-us-to-campaign-for-harris-just-weeks-after-starmer-met-trump/ar-AA1srtzw


3 posted on 12/23/2024 4:44:14 PM PST by Dartoid
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Starmer is the best thing to happen to the UK Reform Party. Musk should donate to him.


4 posted on 12/23/2024 4:54:32 PM PST by HYPOCRACY (Democracy is dead. Long live the Republic!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

The British Space Program will take up the slack.


5 posted on 12/23/2024 4:56:04 PM PST by Tijeras_Slim
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Maybe he should try charging Musk with 37 felonies.


6 posted on 12/23/2024 5:05:40 PM PST by Gay State Conservative (Import The Third World,Become The Third World)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HYPOCRACY

“Starmer is the best thing to happen to the UK Reform Party. Musk should donate to him”

Starmer is pure communist dictator poison, who does not have to hold an election before 2029. That’s a long time. Ever see the lefty freaks in his Cabinet?


7 posted on 12/23/2024 5:10:36 PM PST by dennisw
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Sounds like another piece of crap from back when we whipped England multiple times, got rid of titles of nobility, and more royal garbage.

That is an obvious bill of attainder.
We do not allow that here.
Except for Democrats and their handlers and minions and ilk, who do versions of that all the time, and somehow get away with it.


8 posted on 12/23/2024 5:23:56 PM PST by Weirdad (Orthodox Americanism: It's what's good for the world! (Not communifascism!))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: cross_bearer_02

Exactly, they all take money from Soros, Gates , etc.
Obama is manipulating, Starmer, one of his new puppets!
It’s as bad as Germany taking knives from all the old German ladies, but allowing muslims to carry their swords.


9 posted on 12/23/2024 5:48:00 PM PST by doc maverick
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Well Elon can give money in Canadian elections to help the people get rid of Trudeau. He’s a citizen there:

https://provscons.com/why-does-elon-musk-have-3-citizenships/


10 posted on 12/23/2024 7:19:42 PM PST by packagingguy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

The Muslims have your back SIR


11 posted on 12/23/2024 7:24:10 PM PST by Organic Panic (Democrats. Memories as short as Joe Biden's eyes)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: packagingguy

As a Commonwealth citizen, Musk would have right to vote in the UK without even taking citizenship if he took up residence. He could just buy a house here and and donate.

Commonwealth citizens are not regarded as “foreigners” in Britain, but a separate category of non-British national, hence Foreign And Commonwealth ministry.


12 posted on 12/24/2024 1:10:02 AM PST by sinsofsolarempirefan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: cross_bearer_02

Starmer would need to pass a bill through Parliament before this loophole is closed.That would take months, or weeks. Elon needs to make a decision now before it’s too late.


13 posted on 12/24/2024 1:13:54 AM PST by sinsofsolarempirefan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MinorityRepublican

Make Britain Great Again, Elon!


14 posted on 12/24/2024 1:39:57 AM PST by irishjuggler
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson