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Hi ,

Well, we called it last week. Here we are: another new week and another political fiasco. This time it is Farage and his techni-colour donations. And let’s not even get started on the latest by-election drama, which has conveniently shifted the spotlight away from a much bigger issue: that of money buying political power.

Earlier this week, The Times reported an investigation on at least £500,000 of donations from Fiona Cottrell, mother of George Cottrell. You may remember him - he's a convicted fraudster who also reportedly supported Farage by paying for social media and security. 

This is now on top of the Guardian’s earlier investigation revealing an undisclosed gift of £5million he reportedly received from an offshore cryptocurrency tycoon.

These allegations call for very serious investigations, and we deserve answers.

But whatever the outcome, this isn’t a story about Nigel Farage.

Shocking, I know, but the real story is the way extreme wealth, political influence and media power reinforce one another.

In our report, Money, Media and Lords, we developed a Concentration of Power Index, which found a clear and troubling feedback loop between concentrated wealth, influence in the House of Commons, influence in the House of Lords, and ownership and control of the media.

Farage is a striking example of this dynamic playing out in real time. As a previous MP and leader of Reform UK, he has political influence in Parliament. Through regular appearances on GB News, his column in The Telegraph, and his enormous social media reach, he has a powerful platform to shape the national conversation. Add relationships with some of the world's wealthiest individuals (including Elon Musk, who at one point was reported to be considering a £100 million donation to Reform UK) and it becomes clear how economic power can amplify political power. And how that political power is used to amass greater wealth.

This isn’t unique to Farage. Whether Reform, Labour, Tories, or anyone else, political power and the ability to shape systems to benefit a few is being shaped by unelected people with billions in their bank accounts. And this needs to change. Because this isn’t how democracy is meant to work. 

Farage's donation questions may dominate the news cycle this week. But they're also a reminder that this isn't an isolated scandal. It's a symptom of a system that allows concentrated wealth to become concentrated political influence.

If we want to rebuild trust in our democracy, we need stronger rules on political donations, greater transparency, and a political system where influence isn't determined by the size of someone's fortune. 
New report on the Effects of Recent Changes to Immigration, Asylum, and Refugee Policy on Poverty and Inequality

Earlier this week, the APPG on Migration and the APPG on Poverty and Inequality launched their follow up report on immigration reforms and an increasingly hostile environment.  

The impacts are material. 130,000 children could be pushed into poverty. The Home Office’s own Violence Against Women Strategy recognises that insecure status traps women in abusive relationships - yet the proposals extend uncertainty, cutting off support, and raise language requirements without funding the classes to meet them. 

If you believe that this Government should support its own commitments please join JCWI’s campaign to stop the Bill by writing to your MP now.

The Bill will receive its second reading on Monday 13th July. 
WRITE TO YOUR MP
 

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Weekly Poll: Tell us what you think about UK democracy
 

What causes the most issues, what could we change? Tell us what you think.
 
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What gives you hope that the UK can become a more equal society? You said:

  • "Work can glue people together. A change to taxation that leaves a meaningfully greater sum of earned wage/salary in the vast majority of workers pockets is to my mind desirable. the minority will not benefit and the differential lowest to well paid will narrow."

  • "Because I feel the potential Prime Minister is looking outside the Westminster bubble and shifting power outwards. So I’m hoping for a bottom up approach to economics, education, tackling poverty and building the UK without kowtowing to shareholders"

  • "The growing recognition that concentrated wealth results in many millions getting left behind. We know it isn't necessary, and that we can choose to have a fairer society, as when the welfare state was set up. We do care!"

  • "There seems to be more people aware and working on the issue of inequality and putting pressure on politicians. It will tale time and continued effort but should, with luck and perseverance, move things in the right direction."

  • "Because it’s down to choice and political will, there is no doubt the UK could become a more equal society. But the political will is not there and successive governments continuously choose inequality, austerity and cuts to public spending, as opposed to fairer taxation and equality."
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