PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
TRANSPARENCY OF POLITICAL DONATIONS IN NORTHERN IRELAND (21 March 2018)

That this House notes the approval of the Transparency of Donations and Loans etc. (Northern Ireland Political Parties) Order 2018 on 7 March 2018; regrets that this Order does not live up to the Government's commitment to backdate these provisions to 2014 as provided for in the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014; congratulates the former hon. Member for East Belfast, Naomi Long, on securing provision in that Act which allows for transparency provisions to be backdated to 2014; further notes that on 27 February 2018 during a discussion on the draft Order in the House of Lords the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern lreland Lord Duncan stated that we are not ruling out the re-examination of the period that precedes 1 July 2017; is concerned that this Order prevents proper scrutiny of donations to political parties in Northern Ireland during the EU referendum campaign; and calls on the Government to follow the advice of the Electoral Commission by bringing forward another order at the earliest convenience to backdate the provisions to 2014.

Sponsored by:
Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat)