Campaigners have welcomed Sir Philip Rycroft’s review of foreign financial interference but stressed there is "significantly more to do" on understanding and responding to democratic challenges.
The UK government has confirmed that it will amend the Representation of the People Bill to cap overseas political donations at £100,000 a year, and temporarily ban all cryptocurrency donations, following the recommendations of the former top civil servant.
Speaking in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister told MPs the Rycroft review set out the “stark threats posed by illicit finance” and vowed: “We will act decisively to protect our democracy.
Cary Mitchell, Executive Director of Operations at Best for Britain, which campaigns to strengthen the UK’s democracy, said:
“Highlighting the challenges the UK’s hard-won democracy faces amid the 21st century information crisis is a valuable step, as Best for Britain has long emphasised, and this review is welcome.
“However, there is significantly more to do, both to understand how misinformation and bad faith online actors seek to influence not only people’s voting behaviour but also our wider political discourse, and - most crucially - how as a nation we should respond.”