Labour MPs are proposing a cap on political donations at £1m in an amendment to the Representation of the People Bill, a move they believe Andy Burnham will support in some form when he becomes prime minister. One Labour MP, Alex Sobel, is putting forward the plan as a limit per individual donor, with collective organisations such as trade unions exempted. Burnham, who is widely expected to replace Sir Keir Starmer on 20 July, has already indicated his backing for a cap. In an email exchange in May, when he was campaigning as Labour's candidate in the Makerfield by-election, Burnham told WakeUpGB founder Shaun Bowler that a donations cap "would guard against the perception of any one party being unduly influenced or swayed by one person or organisation". He added: "My gut feeling would suggest somewhere in the region of £500k."
The push for tighter rules comes as UK political parties reported accepting £20.7m in donations during the first three months of 2026, with Reform UK receiving the most from donors at £9.2m, much of it from two wealthy backers, Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo. Last year, Harborne donated £9m to Reform UK, the biggest single donation to a UK political party by a living person. The Electoral Reform Society says the lack of a cap "means that a handful of very wealthy individuals can continue to assert undue influence over our politics".
“Andy Burnham supports a cap on political donations as Labour MPs propose a £1m limit per donor.”
The Starmer government could pull the bill and wait until Burnham takes over, or Burnham could bring in a cap once the bill reaches the House of Lords. Alongside the donations debate, Burnham faces internal decisions about the Labour Party’s top job: general secretary Hollie Ridley is stepping down to allow a replacement “to work alongside a new leader once they are elected”. The National Executive Committee will choose a new general secretary after a ratifying vote at annual conference in September. Potential candidates include Joe Fortune, general secretary of the Co-operative Party; Christina McAnea, former Unison general secretary; Sam Lehal, formerly chief operating officer of the party; Ellie Reynolds, who worked in Starmer’s No 10; and Patrick Lavelle, a key organiser of Burnham’s Makerfield campaign.
Externally, Burnham is being informally advised by Jim O’Neill, the former Conservative Treasury minister who coined the acronym BRIC. O’Neill told POLITICO that Whitehall is "schooled in this view of life that whatever is going on, you always side with the U.S." He said the second Trump administration has been a "wake-up call", and that the UK "should be open to increasing its trade with countries like China". O’Neill, who has not been offered a formal role, praised Burnham as "very street savvy".
Meanwhile, Burnham’s personal style has drawn attention. Kemi Badenoch described him as a "pair of eyelashes and a black T-shirt", which Burnham corrected – it was navy. In a speech at the People's History Museum in Manchester, he joked about needing "special permission" to wear his "Manchester clothes" as he prepares for No 10.
