Andy Burnham recently supported an even lower donations cap than previously reported, according to correspondence seen by the Guardian, as the row over next week’s elections bill escalates.
The prime minister wrote to a campaigner in May outlining his support for a £500,000 individual donations cap, which he said would “guard against the perception of any one party being unduly influenced or swayed by one person or organisation”.
In a follow-up email seen by the Guardian, Burnham went on to say he believed the cap should gradually be reduced – a proposal now being put forward by the Labour MP Stella Creasy.
Campaigners are accusing Burnham of a U-turn after the Guardian reported the prime minister had decided not to back the attempts by Creasy and others to introduce a donations cap in next week’s elections bill.
Thanks for the explanation. Tbh my feeling is that is largely doesn’t matter what the motivation for the u-turn is. The proposal was for anti corruption/anti pernicious influence reasons. Backing out of it without a clear alternative is a statement that those influences have worked on you. The unions should be as bothered by large donors as much as anyone else and failing to make that argument to them is either a failure of leadership or exactly what you suggest.