“Parity for women appears to be decades away,” said Felicia Willow, chief executive at the Fawcett Society, a major women’s rights group. “Government and businesses must tackle deep-rooted gender inequalities in our society and address gaps that have been widened by the pandemic.”
“Men dominate every sector of politics, public life and business,” she said, “so it’s no surprise to see this gulf mirrored in political donations.”
Supermarket tycoon Lord Sainsbury is the UK’s biggest political donor overall, handing out some £40m. In 2016, he gave £2m each to Labour and the Liberal Democrats ahead of the EU referendum.
Sainsbury announced he would end his political donations in 2017, only to then give £8m to the Lib Dems in the run-up to the 2019 election. The gift was the largest single donation ever recorded by the Electoral Commission.
The top ten donors also include Lord Farmer, a former Conservative Party treasurer and hedge fund boss.
Farmer, a born-again Christian, started supporting the Conservative Party two decades ago, reportedly in reaction to Labour’s policy of giving welfare payments to unmarried mothers. He has now given more than £8m to political parties and campaigns.
openDemocracy analysed every donation from individuals given to a political party, MP or campaign group since 2001.
MPs must declare all gifts over £500 on the Electoral Commission’s register, while political parties have to report donations of more than £7,500.
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