Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK and his party treasurer recently took a meeting with Elon Musk in Mar-a-Lago. This meeting came off the back of speculation Mr Musk could donate the party as much as $100 Million (£80 Million), a new record for a single donation to a British political party. It has since reignited a debate in the UK about the role of money and political donations in British politics, and a call from campaigners to bring in new rules to prevent such a large donation. With ministers seemingly resistant to change the rules around donations so quickly, on behalf of 38 Degrees we polled the British public on their views around the role of wealthy foreign donors and Elon Musk’s potential influence in British politics.

A ban on wealthy foreign nationals donating large sums of money to British political parties is supported by 55% of the public, while opposed by 28%. 17% told us they did not know. Support for a ban on wealthy foreign nationals making such donations is widespread, with a majority of voters for every major party in support.

When asked about whether Elon Musk should be influential in British politics, based on what they knew about him already, 66% of the public expressed that he should not be influential in British politics, while only 19% believe that he should. Similar to the question about the ban on wealthy nationals making large donations to British political parties, belief that Mr Musk should not be influential in British politics is widespread and is the majority view of voters for all parties, including 51% of those who voted for Reform UK in the July General Election.

These findings highlight a clear public concern about the influence of wealthy foreign nationals, like Elon Musk, on British politics. There is strong support for stricter rules on political donations and a significant desire to limit Musk’s influence, even among voters who might be expected to align with Reform UK. As the debate over political funding intensifies, these results underscore the public’s appetite for greater transparency and safeguards to protect the integrity of the UK’s political system.

Survation conducted an online survey of 2019 UK adults aged 18+. Fieldwork was conducted between 4th and 6th December 2024.The full dataset, including demographic and political breakdowns can be accessed here.

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