The government has ordered an independent review into foreign financial interference in UK politics.
It comes after former Reform UK leader in Wales Nathan Gill was jailed for 10-and-a-half years after admitting taking bribes for pro-Russian interviews and speeches.
Announcing the review, Communities Secretary Steve Reed said the government must “learn the lessons” from the case so that “this never happens again.”
The review will be led by former senior civil servant Philip Rycroft and will report in March.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Reed said: “The facts are clear. A British politician accepted bribes to promote the interests of the Russian regime, a regime that forcibly deported vulnerable Ukrainian children and killed a British citizen on British soil using a deadly nerve agent.
“This conduct is a stain on our democracy. The independent review will work to remove that stain.”
Earlier this year, the government published its strategy for “modern, secure elections,” which Reed said “will close loopholes that should have been closed long before we came into office.”
“However, since that strategy was published, events have shown that we must consider whether our firewall is sufficient,” he added.
The government said the review would carry out an “in-depth assessment of current financial rules and safeguards and provide recommendations to further mitigate the risks of foreign political interference.”
He described the review as “a response to the growing threat posed to British democracy by political interference, including the shocking cases of former MEPs Nathan Gill and Christine Lee.”
In 2022, MI5 issued a rare warning alleging that Lee was a Chinese agent infiltrating Parliament and making donations to politicians.
Lee has previously said that the MI5 alert “wrongly accused her of knowingly engaging in political interference” on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
Last month, Gill became the first politician to be jailed under the Bribery Act.
He is believed to have received up to £40,000 to help pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine.
