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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Call for Northern Irish political parties to be forced to declare donors | Call for Northern Irish political parties to be forced to declare donors |
| (7 months later) | |
| Demand for more transparency comes as Theresa May prepares to strike deal with DUP to prop up Tories in government | |
| Rajeev Syal, | |
| Owen Bowcott and | |
| Henry McDonald | |
| Tue 13 Jun 2017 13.27 BST | |
| Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 22.47 GMT | |
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| The government is under pressure from Labour and the Social Democratic and Labour party to deliver a pre-election pledge to force Northern Irish political parties to declare their donors. | The government is under pressure from Labour and the Social Democratic and Labour party to deliver a pre-election pledge to force Northern Irish political parties to declare their donors. |
| Critics say the current rules, which allow parties in the region to hide the identity of their largest sources of funding, could allow foreign powers to influence UK government policy. | Critics say the current rules, which allow parties in the region to hide the identity of their largest sources of funding, could allow foreign powers to influence UK government policy. |
| It comes as Theresa May prepares to strike a deal with the Democratic Unionist party that will allow her to remain as prime minister and propel the 10 loyalist MPs into a position of significant power in Westminster. | It comes as Theresa May prepares to strike a deal with the Democratic Unionist party that will allow her to remain as prime minister and propel the 10 loyalist MPs into a position of significant power in Westminster. |
| Political parties from Northern Ireland do not have to disclose their donors to the public, although they are expected to inform the Electoral Commission. | Political parties from Northern Ireland do not have to disclose their donors to the public, although they are expected to inform the Electoral Commission. |
| The Northern Ireland secretary, James Brokenshire, said last month that disclosure about who was supporting parties in the region would encourage confidence in the political system, but there were no official plans to change the rules. | The Northern Ireland secretary, James Brokenshire, said last month that disclosure about who was supporting parties in the region would encourage confidence in the political system, but there were no official plans to change the rules. |
| Disclosures surrounding a £425,000 donation to the DUP that bankrolled a four-page Vote Leave advertisement in London’s Metro newspaper last June has raised questions over the party’s funding. | Disclosures surrounding a £425,000 donation to the DUP that bankrolled a four-page Vote Leave advertisement in London’s Metro newspaper last June has raised questions over the party’s funding. |
| Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, told the Guardian the disclosure rules should be changed given the deal being struck to prop up the Tories in government. | Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, told the Guardian the disclosure rules should be changed given the deal being struck to prop up the Tories in government. |
| “The DUP has a political and moral duty to reveal where this exceptionally large donation came from, what it was used for and why it was apparently employed outside of the province,” he said. | “The DUP has a political and moral duty to reveal where this exceptionally large donation came from, what it was used for and why it was apparently employed outside of the province,” he said. |
| “Given that James Brokenshire said himself only this year that voters in Northern Ireland would welcome more information on how their political parties are funded, any resistance from the Tories to changing the rules on this would look very suspicious indeed.” | “Given that James Brokenshire said himself only this year that voters in Northern Ireland would welcome more information on how their political parties are funded, any resistance from the Tories to changing the rules on this would look very suspicious indeed.” |
| Claire Hanna, a senior SDLP assembly member at Stormont, said the party had written to Brokenshire proposing that the circumstances preventing the disclosure of political donations no longer applied. | Claire Hanna, a senior SDLP assembly member at Stormont, said the party had written to Brokenshire proposing that the circumstances preventing the disclosure of political donations no longer applied. |
| “We are now a year on from the DUP receiving almost half a million pounds to influence the damaging outcome of the Brexit referendum, which has still not been adequately explained. This issue will be particularly pertinent if the DUP are seen to be able to influence British government policy,” she said. | “We are now a year on from the DUP receiving almost half a million pounds to influence the damaging outcome of the Brexit referendum, which has still not been adequately explained. This issue will be particularly pertinent if the DUP are seen to be able to influence British government policy,” she said. |
| The DUP is also in favour of greater transparency, as outlined in its manifesto, but is keen to examine the details of the government’s proposals before reaching an agreement. | The DUP is also in favour of greater transparency, as outlined in its manifesto, but is keen to examine the details of the government’s proposals before reaching an agreement. |
| The party’s activists have for many years accused Sinn Féin of using the disclosure rules to bring in cash from supporters in the US and Ireland. | The party’s activists have for many years accused Sinn Féin of using the disclosure rules to bring in cash from supporters in the US and Ireland. |
| A DUP party source said: “NI needs to be brought into line with the rest of the UK. The Northern Ireland foreign donation needs to end.” | A DUP party source said: “NI needs to be brought into line with the rest of the UK. The Northern Ireland foreign donation needs to end.” |
| Political parties in Northern Ireland argued during the Troubles that publicising the names of their donors could expose their supporters to terrorist targeting and attacks. | Political parties in Northern Ireland argued during the Troubles that publicising the names of their donors could expose their supporters to terrorist targeting and attacks. |
| However, James Orr, from Friends of the Earth in Northern Ireland, has pointed out that the Tories, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and other parties represented at Westminster are open about their donors, despite living in an era of Islamist-inspired terrorist attacks. | However, James Orr, from Friends of the Earth in Northern Ireland, has pointed out that the Tories, Labour, the Liberal Democrats and other parties represented at Westminster are open about their donors, despite living in an era of Islamist-inspired terrorist attacks. |
| After last year’s EU referendum, it emerged that the DUP had spent £282,000 on a pro-Brexit advert in a newspaper, according to documents released by the Electoral Commission. | After last year’s EU referendum, it emerged that the DUP had spent £282,000 on a pro-Brexit advert in a newspaper, according to documents released by the Electoral Commission. |
| Under pressure, the DUP later admitted that the little-known, pro-union, Scottish-based Constitutional Research Council had donated the cash to fund the Ulster party’s anti-EU ad. Overall, the DUP’s total expenditure on the Brexit campaign at £425,000 was more than seven times the amount the party declared it had spent on the 2015 general election. | Under pressure, the DUP later admitted that the little-known, pro-union, Scottish-based Constitutional Research Council had donated the cash to fund the Ulster party’s anti-EU ad. Overall, the DUP’s total expenditure on the Brexit campaign at £425,000 was more than seven times the amount the party declared it had spent on the 2015 general election. |
| A Northern Ireland Office spokesperson said Brokenshire had sought political parties’ views about an end to the arrangement. | A Northern Ireland Office spokesperson said Brokenshire had sought political parties’ views about an end to the arrangement. |
| Northern Ireland | |
| Northern Irish politics | |
| Democratic Unionist party (DUP) | |
| Conservatives | |
| Theresa May | |
| Electoral reform | |
| news | |
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