
The United Kingdom has completed a series of legislative changes regarding sources of financing for political parties. The new law, which passed through parliament, introduces two main limits. Firstly, there is a limit for non-residents: the maximum amount of annual contributions from foreign citizens is now 100,000 pounds. Secondly, stricter measures have been introduced — any cryptocurrency donations are completely prohibited.
This initiative comes from the British Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, which oversees the right to vote. The accompanying documentation to the bill notes that digital assets complicate the process of verifying sources of funds.
The ban took effect immediately after approval. However, the legislative work did not end there. Amendments to the law "On the Representation of the People" are currently being developed to extend the new rules to previously received donations. If they are accepted, parties and candidates will receive a 30-day deadline to refund funds that will now be considered illegal. This means that transactions conducted prior to the official ban may be subject to verification.
The bill provides for the possibility of lifting this ban in the future. One of the conditions is the creation of a full—fledged national system for regulating cryptocurrencies, which would ensure full transparency and traceability of such operations. To date, according to British lawmakers, such conditions have not yet been formed.
Thus, the UK has decided to protect the political financing process from the uncertainty associated with cryptocurrencies. While this area is looking for its way between decentralization and financial control requirements, the government has clearly defined the boundaries: election campaigns should not become a platform for testing new, untested financial instruments.