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80% of Reform’s funding comes from two crypto billionaires (democracyforsale.substack.com)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/uk_politics@feddit.uk
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[–] 50 points 2 months ago (5 children)

thanks, Andy "we can't limit domestic donations, what about the trade unions?" Burnham.

also fuck billionaires. the world is broken isn't it, one billionaire can single-handed give Reform double the donation received by the Labour and the Tory combined. how can democracy survive that??

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  • [–] 18 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    The union's argument is so ridiculous. A union is clearly a collective of individuals acting as a block to increase their power. It seems self evident that any cap on individual donations wouldn't apply to them as they're not an individual. It should be capped at the individual limit times their membership.

    And no, a company isn't the same thing.

    Maybe this donation will spur them into action

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    What makes a company different? What about a company formed as a cooperative? Can you prevent a company forming an organisation or calls a trade union and using it to funnel donations?

    I dunno maybe you can close all these loopholes but it doesn't seem totally obvious to me

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago*

    I think the percieved problem is that the union may be funneling money that is in the union interest rather than individual member interests. There has been problems with union corruption. However, union membership is down globally, so they are less powerful and less a bogeyman than the right would want you to believe.

    Also, it should be clear that donations should not be the Max amount times membership, but the Max for any individual member, including any other donations. Collective pooling of resources doesn't collectively pool legal limits. Or at least, it shouldn't. That's the point of the limit.

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    • [–] 9 points 2 months ago

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Delo

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Harborne

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    [–] 7 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Ah yes, crypto, the criminal money system that was invented to not only enrich the wealthy as an unregulated pump and dump market, but also allow for untraceable money transfers.

    Very legit and unsuspicious.

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    • [–] 6 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    Government has to do something about this. This can't be okay.

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  • [–] -2 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Its a toughie though. Political activity costs money, and is the taxpayer willing to pay higher amounts to the parties to fund it?

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

    If you don't know the answer it's perfectly acceptable to just not respond.

    Obviously the taxpayer isn't going to pay money to a political party that isn't the government. That doesn't happen anywhere from not sure what's with that suggestion.

    They get funding from donors, who live in the UK, and the donations have to be registered with the governing board. The problem is these crypto billionaires don't live in the UK and the funds weren't reported.

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    • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    (Not that it ever was really possible) Politics funded by the rich like exposes the lie that we live in a democracy where people can stand for office if they are unhappy with the politicians who represent them. The reality is you must bend the knee to rich donors and, if you are particularly loyal and subservient, will gain honours and a job for life.

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