Andy Burnham has reportedly withdrawn support for a £500,000 cap on political donations after trade unions argued that it could restrict Labour’s funding. The reported reversal matters because Burnham had previously said a cap would help address concerns that wealthy donors or organisations could exert undue influence over political parties.

The GMB, which has given more than £2.4 million to Labour-related bodies since the start of 2025, said a domestic cap could have unintended consequences and noted unions’ existing legal oversight of political funds. The Government has instead announced a £100,000 annual limit on overseas donations, backdated to 25 March and extended to cover a person’s first year in the UK; separately, Burnham received more than £325,000 in donations before entering No 10.