Of course, the fact that two crypto billionaires gave Reform the largest ever handout to any political party (£70m) is purely coincidental…
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But of course!
They are clearly well meaning foreign residents intent upon doing good in the UK political sphere.
Choose your poison I suppose, dodgy crypto concessions or dead Palestinians.
All parties are as bad as each other when it comes to this.
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I don’t mean to be rude, but wouldn’t you say by the look of that headline they 're “reaching” ? Really. (though I haven’t read the article).
A bit like being connected with a girl that’s connected with a guy that danced with a girl who had danced with the Prince of Wales.
Scratch any bank, insurance company or financial institution you deal with and you’d probably be surprised at the connections of funds they invest in and other people they deal with. Not saying it’s right. But this organisation clearly has a point of view and is casting around for snippets to justify it and stoke up dissension and instability.
In fact it would not surprise me, at all, if some of their funding came to them from a front for sources related to, say, Mr. Putin.
Apologies I’ve just seen too much political correctness and “stoked outrage” today.
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Personally i would like to see no, zero, funding of political parties from any private or business or union sources. Funds from taxes only.
Do you think that because Labour took that donation they are soft on hedge funds and give them an easy ride?
As @KarenLot points out, when you look at the portfolios of investment companies it is hard to find any with no nasty connections at all.
It is BAD that Labour took £4m from a company one of whom’s many investments is in an aerospace company with sales to Israel, although it maned as being in support of Labour’s climate change stance.
It is many times worse for RefUK Ltd to take over £70m from individual foreign residents who stand to make millions in tax concessions that might also drive down investment in conventiinal companies thus making the UK economy for UK residents worse.
Don’t pretend “they are all the same”.
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It a fair point Karen, and yes there is definitely a big reach in the connection.
Franglais - Look at Dale Vince who really does directly benefit from Red Ed and his policy’s are absolutely making the UK economy worse!
You might agree with the crazy fast push to net zero for basically no net effect, but that didn’t make his donations right.
Dale Vince making the UK economy worse?
How so?
And does that make the foreign money invested in RefUK Ltd right somehow? It does not!
I am not happy that Labour, and all other parties, accept cash from individuals and companies.
But just as I can see that doing 74mph on a motorway at 2 in the morning and doing 100mph past the school gates at 3 pm on a Friday, are both cases of speeding, they are not the same thing at all.
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And that is what you think that is 
“It shows how RefUK Ltd proposals for tax reform would cut possibly £100 million tax revenues per year for crypto inves… gamblers.”
I am no fan of reform but that is probably one of the least “cash for favours” impacts there is..
Wet Tshirt Friday?
Rather than guess, what exactly are you talking of here please?
Headline in today’s I paper:
Farage to use loophole to show ‘propaganda’ on Reform TV - and it can’t be stopped
Reform had a a YouTube channel. It’s probably less boring but no less dire than those of the other parties, but the paper singles out Reform for attention.
It’s probably stupidity, but it’s difficult to believe that they’re all so stupid.
And it gives strong credibility to the claim that the Establishment is out to stop them., by foul means if fair don’t work.
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It’s difficult…in the eyes of a cult member everything supports their point of view:
Farage says “x y z”.
If he is shut up, it is “censored because it is true”.
If left to stand, " it must be true".
Evidence and proof have no place in religion and cults. Nor, increasingly in politics.
Politics IS religion, operated as it used to be, rather than like all those funny people speaking in tongues and wanting to live better lives. It’s one of the reasons religion looks so horrible in the history books.
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Agreed that too many treat politics like religion, or like a football team. Once you choose which colour you like, you just support them no matter what.
Bit like patriotism too I guess?
“My country, right or wrong”?
Yeah, it is, but the wrong part should always be called out.
The problems just keep coming, don’t they? And there’s the standards commissioner’s report that must be due out soon.
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The recent donations to Reform do come from a couple of dodgey geezers.
Ben Delo, has of course been convicted in the states of facilitating money laundering, by fabricating the records of those investing in his company. Pardoned by Trump.
And Christopher Harborne aka Chakrit Sakunkrit, who changes his residency as often as people change their socks. Not for political reasons of course, he just can’t make up his mind.
They should fit in nicely around the dinner table with Jenryk and Tice. They can have a jolly time discussing their financial wheelings and dealings.
It would be truly unhealthy if the UK , should go the way of the US where billions are spent on elections.
Musk spent $20, 000,000 of his own money trying to get a judge he favoured elected. Clearly hoping to get favourable outcomes from him if elected. He failed fortunately.
But this does demonstrate how undemocratic politics becomes without limits on donations from individuals with a particular agenda.
NYT says he has put $276 million into the Republican cause for the midterms. It should not be possible to buy an election.
That money will buy an awful lot of lipstick.
I will (try to) avoid going full soap-box mode, but we need a full overhaul of the UK system.
PR of some sort.
Some systems are better than others, but surely most (all?) are better than FPTP.
Try to cut down further on the revolving door for MPs/journalists/advisors etc.
Easier said than done I know.
And full state funding of political parties. No financial input from individuals, companies, nor unions. That’ll go down a storm on any party manifesto, so I don’t expect it anytime soon!
I think individuals should be able to make small donations to parties. Up to a maximum of say £5000 in one year.
Weelll, in theory, yes that sounds reasonable…but…
How easy would that be to fiddle? Individuals giving money to relatives to re-route as their own? Look at the allegations about Farage US donors.
Just end it all.