Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has plans to ban UK politicians accepting cryptocurrency donations.

We have introduced the Representation of the People Bill which brings forward a package of reforms to deliver on our manifesto commitment to tighten the rules on political donations. It introduces a ‘Know your Donor’ scheme requiring enhanced checks on larger donations, to prevent the risk of foreign interference. It introduces tighter eligibility rules on donations from companies to ensure a genuine connection to the UK, and stricter rules and checks by unincorporated associations on the gifts they receive and donations they make.

The Rycroft Review on foreign interference in UK politics will focus on the effectiveness of the UK’s political finance laws, as well as the safeguards in place to protect our democracy from illicit money from abroad, including cryptoassets. The terms of reference for the review can be found here: Independent review: countering foreign financial influence and interference in UK politics: Terms of Reference - GOV.UK. Review findings will be delivered to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Security Minister by the end of March 2026.

We will take any steps necessary to ensure the integrity of our system.