Why and How to Deliver a Moratorium on Developer Donations
Context: This is a follow-up brief expanding on a proposal I handed to Damian Hinds MP — focused on why and how to freeze developer donations now.
Note to Reader: What follows is a supplement to my formal submission to Damian Hinds MP, offering sharper detail on delivery and urgency.
Background: This brief builds on a proposal I personally submitted to Damian Hinds MP on May 30, 2025 — calling for a moratorium on developer donations.
Why This Matters
Political donations from developers, land promoters, and speculative planning agents during a housing affordability crisis create serious risks of policy distortion and planning capture. These donations can come directly or indirectly — through associated companies, non-profits, or private individuals connected to development firms.
A moratorium would:
• Reinforce trust in the integrity of planning decisions
• Reduce the risk of speculative influence while affordability remains broken
• Align the political system with the public interest during a period of crisis
Crucially, it would also help safeguard against a growing national risk: the collapse of public trust in housing policy feeding so-called anti-establishment sentiment — which can be exploited by foreign-influenced or authoritarian movements, as already seen abroad.
This moratorium should last five years, or until average house prices fall to 4.5× average earnings (ONS affordability ratio). To ensure this is delivered swiftly and robustly, I propose a dual-track strategy: one legislative, one executive.
Close All Loopholes – Full Scope Required
The moratorium must apply to both organisations and individuals who may otherwise donate through indirect means. Specifically:
Covered under the ban:
- Parent, subsidiary, or affiliated companies
- Industry lobbying groups and non-profits acting on developers’ behalf
- Individuals who are:
- Directors, executives, or senior employees of development firms
- Shareholders with more than 5% control
- Individuals acting in coordination with, or under the direction of, a developer or related entity
➡ These rules ensure no “private” donations can bypass the moratorium.
The Electoral Commission should maintain a Register of Restricted Donors, using:
- Companies House and PSC data
- Local planning and land ownership records
- Financial disclosures from political parties
Why This Is Urgent and Fair
Political donations from those profiting directly from planning permissions — whether corporate or personal — undermine the credibility of the planning system. This proposal ensures:
- Fast action through Cabinet Office policy
- Long-term legal protection through Parliament
- No backdoor influence via personal or indirect channels
Other countries prevent this kind of overlap. The UK can — and should — do the same.
Delivery Plan: Two Immediate Actions Available to Damian Hinds MP
These actions are complementary, not sequential — one delivers speed, the other delivers permanence.
I urged Damian Hinds MP to take forward both routes — legislative and executive — in parallel. Doing so, I argued, would directly address public mistrust and reduce the strategic risk of housing policy being captured by financial or foreign interests.