The next UK general election could be a disaster of “Trumpian proportions” if the Labour government does not adopt measures to boost public trust in the political system, former ministers and campaigners have warned.
A cap on political donations and wider powers for the House of Lords Appointments Commission to block unsuitable peer nominations are among 54 proposals laid out in a paper from the campaign group Unlock Democracy.
Campaigners acknowledged that Keir Starmer has made changes to the ministerial code, including tightening the rules on gifts after a row over freebies.
But they argued the prime minister was still able to ignore recommendations made by the independent adviser on ministerial interests “without explanation” while former ministers could continue to seek jobs outside government.
The Unlock Democracy paper also recommends the introduction of a clear job description for MPs against which constituents and the standards commissioner would be able to measure their performance.
The UK’s “over-reliance on conventions and norms” is a source of democratic vulnerability, the paper argues. It urges the government to give the House of Lords Appointments Commission the power to block peerage nominations to address perceptions of cronyism.
A substantial reduction in party campaign spending and a cap on political donations had also been recommended to reduce the ability of wealthy donors to “wield outsized, unaccountable influence”.
Other recommendations suggested to reverse “democratic backsliding” include:
Cabinet ministers must be confirmed by MPs’ select committees and parliament should ratify new prime ministers before the new government can bring forward a king’s speech.
Close loopholes that allow unincorporated associations to conceal the source of their political donations or overseas residents to donate to political parties
A £200 per-item limit on freebies for MPs or ministers and a cap on earnings from second jobs at half an MP’s salary.
Amend the MPs’ code of conduct and the Recall of MPs Act 2015 so they can be punished for failing to fulfil their responsibilities.
Tom Brake, director of Unlock Democracy and formerly a Liberal Democrat minister, said: “Donald Trump’s return to the White House should set alarm bells ringing for all of us who value democracy. We cannot just assume something similar could never happen here.
“Public confidence in the integrity of the political system is dwindling. Meanwhile, concerns continue to grow about the accountability of the government to elected representatives, and the accountability of elected representatives to their voters.”
The proposed measures “have the merit of being low cost, big impact”, he said.
The proposals have been backed by Dominic Grieve, the former attorney general, and Paul Tyler, former Lib Dem constitutional reform spokesperson in both the Commons and the Lords.
Tyler said: “Unless this government, and this parliament, urgently address the democratic deficit – and the loss of public confidence in political integrity – the next general election could be a disaster of Trumpian proportions.”
Caroline Slocock, director of the thinktank Civil Exchange and former private secretary to Margaret Thatcher and John Major, said: “The integrity of our democratic system matters but it’s failing us now. The government rightly promised a reset, the beginning of a new administration is the right time to do it, and this report shows how.”
