Liberal Democrats vow to fight on after Commons votes down political donation cap amendment

Plans to establish a royal commission aimed at capping political donations and reviewing campaign spending limits have been defeated in the House of Commons by 427 votes to 85, a majority of 342.

​The proposal, brought forward as an amendment by the Liberal Democrats, sought to mandate the Secretary of State to outline terms of reference, membership, and funding for a royal commission. The body would have been tasked with analysing the merits and threshold of a political donation cap, alongside evaluating the effectiveness and timeframe of existing campaign expenditure limits.

​Following the rejection of the division, Liberal Democrat Cabinet Office Spokesperson Lisa Smart MP sharply criticised the Government's stance, accusing the administration of timidity in the face of deep-seated institutional issues.
​“Just yesterday, Burnham promised that he would do politics differently,” Smart said. “Despite his words, Labour has shown real timidity here. Only the Liberal Democrats are serious about tackling the systems of cronyism and corruption at the heart of Westminster.”
Lisa ​Smar MP emphasised that systemic reform remains vital to restoring public trust, arguing that incremental measures are insufficient.
​“We can't fix our country if the Government refuses to fix our broken politics - it needs to walk the walk instead of just talking the talk,” Smart added. Highlighting potential next steps as the legislative package progresses, she noted: “Angela Rayner has stated that the Government is committed to returning to issues in the Lords, and so we hope that Labour will finally show courage and deliver this crucial amendment when we vote for it again. We won't let this go.”

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