Separately, unions are also discussing whether to back a review of how political parties spend their money, both officials quoted above said. Party spending is currently regulated retrospectively for the year before an election, and limits tighten further in the final weeks.
This would mirror a move from the Labour government, which tasked the Electoral Commission earlier this summer with reviewing spending limits on political campaigning and reporting back by July 2027.
The first official quoted above said: “If that money’s already landed [with Reform] and it’s going to stay there, it’s about how much you can spend on, for example, social media advertising.”
Change of topic
The issue has dominated the start of the TUC’s annual gathering of 47 trade unions, 11 of which have formal financial ties to Labour. The TUC already opposes donations by overseas residents and those which are given in the form of cryptocurrency.
It has led to a fierce tussle between unions on the campaigning left, which want to take firmer action against mega-donations, and those closest to Labour that fear their own funding of the party will be undercut.
Some union officials also fear that supporting one set of rules for trade unions and a different set for wealthy individuals will be seized upon by opponents on the right. The first union official quoted above insisted they “wouldn’t describe it as a carve-out,” given rules would apply to both groups.