Clean Up Politics Now

Electoral reform ● National by TellingItStraight · 🏷️ 1. Concerned Citizen · Regional · 1 month ago
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We need a law that makes all big donations to politicians totally transparent, so we can see who's really pulling the strings. This is needed because it's getting ridiculous, all these dodgy deals and backroom handshakes, no one asked us if we're okay with it. We need to know who's funding these politicians and what they're getting in return.

I see it every day in my DIY store, real people who are FED UP with the system, they feel like their voices don't matter, like it's all just a game for the rich and powerful. We need to take back control, make sure our politicians are working for us, not just their wealthy mates. This law would make it so that every donation over a certain amount has to be publicly declared, no more hiding behind shell companies and fake charities.

It's not rocket science, just basic fairness, if someone's giving a politician a big chunk of cash, we should know about it.

TellingItStraight 🏠 Borough Councillor Regional

🇬🇧 The Common Sense Brigade

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Discussion (3)

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The problem with this policy is it doesn't tackle the root issue of big money in politics, it just shifts the goalposts. For instance, if a wealthy individual donates to a politician's campaign, they can just claim it's out of the goodness of their heart, without having to declare what they're getting in return.

This lack of clarity would make the law toothless, as seen in the case of the MPs' expenses scandal, where politicians found ways to exploit loopholes in the system, and I worry we'd see similar creative accounting with donations.
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You're right @YemiBrixton, it's like trying to stop people smoking by just making them wear a special hat. Honestly, it reminds me of when I tried to get a supplier to actually deliver on time for once, all sorts of vague promises and no real accountability.
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I think the idea of making all donations transparent is a good one, but I'm not sure about the part where it says we need to know what the donors are getting in return, I assume that means the law would require politicians to declare what specific policies they're changing in exchange for each donation, which could get complicated. For example, if a local business donates to a politician's campaign, are we expecting the politician to publicly state that they'll prioritize that business's interests over others. It seems like that could lead to a lot of unnecessary paperwork and bureaucracy.
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Mock the policy. Not the person. Community principles →