British Government protecting DUP donors

Labour Party Leader Brendan Howlin TD, has described as ‘scandalous’ the decision by the British Government to only apply politcal funding transparency in Northern Ireland from 1st July 2017.

Deputy Howlin said:

“The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland will tomorrow bring into force new transparency regulations on electoral donations with effect back as far as 1st July 2017.

“Despite the relevant Act being passed in 2014 and the principle of donation transparency enacted, the Secretary for State, against the wishes of the independent regulator, is only affecting the legislative change from July 2017.

“There is nothing stopping full transparency being enacted back to 2014 except political decision making.

“It would appear that the purpose of this change is to ensure the continued secrecy of a £435,000 donation to the DUP, which was used to fund pro-Brexit campaigning not in Northern Ireland but in the UK. In effect the DUP were used to secretly spend this campaign money.

“What is staggering too is the silence from Sinn Féin on the issue.

“The party is happy to talk high standards in Ireland but on this issue, and on an issue of huge importance to the whole island of Ireland, it is practically silent.”