Press Story

More than seven in every £10 donated by mega-donors since records began has come since 2019
IPPR warns of the “Americanisation” of British politics and calls for annual individual donation cap of £100,000

British politics has entered a new era of dependence on mega-donors, with seven- and eight-figure individual donations becoming far more prominent since 2019, new IPPR analysis reveals.

Adding the donations to Reform UK reported this month to analysis of Electoral Commission data finds that £179m has been given by individuals donating more than £1m to a political party within a single year since 2019.

That amounts to 72 per cent of all £1m-plus individual donations made since 2001, despite the period since 2019 accounting for less than a third of the years covered by the data.

The figures reveal a sharp change in how British politics is funded even before this month’s mega-donations. Between 2001 and 2018, parties received an average of £3.9m a year from individuals giving more than £1m annually. Between 2019 and 2025, that figure rose to £13.1m a year, almost three-and-a-half times as much.

Reform’s record-breaking fundraising in recent weeks has only accelerated this trend. The findings suggest that the two £36m donations to Reform announced this month are not an isolated phenomenon, but the most dramatic example yet of a longer-term shift towards British parties relying on very large individual donors.

IPPR says the figures point to a growing concentration of political funding among a small number of extremely wealthy people and risk pushing Britain towards a US-style mega-donor culture.

There is currently no general limit on how much a permissible donor can give to a UK political party. IPPR says large donations risk undermining public confidence that political influence cannot be bought and calls for an annual £100,000 cap on individual political donations.

Harry Quilter-Pinner, executive director of IPPR, said:

“Something fundamental has changed in how British politics is funded. Million-pound donations were once exceptional, however since 2019, mega-donor money has become a much bigger part of our political system.

“Reform’s extraordinary fundraising has accelerated that trend, but this is much bigger than one party or two enormous cheques. This is the Americanisation of British politics where political parties can become dependent on a handful of people with exceptionally deep pockets.

“Britain should draw a clear line. The government should introduce a £100,000 annual cap now and bring it down over time, so that no individual can bankroll a political party simply because they are incredibly wealthy.”

ENDS

Harry Quilter-Pinner is available for interview

CONTACT

Liam Evans, head of news and media: 07419 365 334 l.evans@ippr.org

NOTES TO EDITORS

Figures are based on IPPR and Transparency International analysis of Electoral Commission data. They show the total given by individual donors who gave £1m or more to a single party in a calendar year, based on the date donations were accepted. 2026 figures for the Labour and Conservative parties are based on Electoral Commission data for Q1 and Q2. The 2026 Reform UK figure is a projection based on Electoral Commission data for Q1 and Q2 2026 plus publicly reported large donations.
IPPR (the Institute for Public Policy Research) is the UK’s most influential think tank, with alumni in Downing Street, the cabinet and parliament. We are the practical ideas factory behind many of the current government’s flagship policies, including changes to fiscal rules, the creation of a National Wealth Fund, GB Energy, devolution, and reforms to the NHS. As an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener, and more prosperous society, we have spent almost 40 years creating tangible progressive change - turning bold ideas into common sense realities. www.ippr.org