Gregory Campbell MP, treasurer of the Democratic Unionist Party, who accepted a £425,000 donation through an unincorporated association, from unknown sources. Image: BBC.
The revelation on openDemocracy that loopholes in Northern Ireland's party donation rules were used to anonymously channel hundreds of thousands of pounds into the Brexit campaign via the DUP is alarming, but unsurprising. Wherever political donation loopholes exist – and they do in abundance – individuals and companies are quick to exploit them. Political parties have shown themselves to be willing to accept donations that come through front organisations, in the form of a loan, or as smaller donations from numerous connected family members and friends – at least until they get caught out. The latest data from the Electoral Commission has shown that far from Northern Ireland being an exception to the rule, wealthy individuals, corporate interests and trade unions dominate the political donors list. Donation rules need to be overhauled, or we risk a further corrosion of public trust in political integrity.
Although the identity of the anonymous donor has now been revealed as the Constitutional Research Council (CRC), this has only raised more questions. The CRC are not a registered company or an unincorporated association, nor are they a registered charity. They have no website, and virtually no information is available about the group online. The CRC’s Chairman, Richard Cook, is the former vice-chairman of the Scottish Conservative party and holds a range of directorships. Who else is behind the CRC and their £425,000 donation that funded the DUP’s Brexit campaign, remains a mystery.
