After the Gill verdict last month, the Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, said an investigation into Russian and Chinese influence over British politics would be welcome, so there is an expectation that he, along with other political leaders, would be willing to cooperate. Farage has described Gill, who previously led the party in Wales, as a single bad apple and condemned his actions as reprehensible, treasonous and unforgivable, adding that he was pleased that justice had been served.
The independence of the Electoral Commission must be fully restored to protect the UK's electoral integrity from a future authoritarian government, a new report warns. The Democracy in Danger report by Spotlight on Corruption found the UK government is in breach of eight different international standards on ensuring the independence of electoral bodies by maintaining the government's oversight of the watchdog. It warned current ministerial power over the Electoral Commission, brought in by Boris Johnson, could easily be abused to undermine our democracy.
"My elimination from the electoral list by the Independent Electoral Commission is a sad but eloquent example of Ivory Coast's drift towards a total absence of democracy," said Tidjane Thiam.
