To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce legislation to make it illegal for non-UK citizens who were granted Tier 1 (Investor) visas to donate to political parties in the United Kingdom.
Answered on
14 April 2022
UK electoral law sets out a stringent regime of donations controls to ensure that only those with a legitimate interest in UK elections can make political donations and that political donations are transparent.
Donations from individuals not on the electoral register are not permitted. There is only a very limited exception to this, whereby for political parties registered in Northern Ireland, permissible donors also include Irish citizens and organisations provided they meet prescribed conditions.
UK visas, whatever the tier, do not give someone the right to vote in the UK. Eligibility requirements at UK elections will vary across the UK depending on the election, and anyone holding a UK visa will be subject to usual tests around nationality and residency to determine whether they are eligible to register as an elector.