Lisa Smart
Liberal Democrat MP for Hazel Grove.
On 2 September, Lisa Smart’s proposed Royal Commission on donation limits failed in the Commons before Liberal Democrat MPs backed the Representation of the People Bill at Third Reading.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why do the Liberal Democrats back the Representation of the People Bill?
Timeline for Lisa Smart
Mentioned in: Delo and Harborne give Reform £72m
UK Local Elections 2026Confirmed Liberal Democrat support for the Bill
UK Local Elections 2026: Rayner's finance Bill goes to the LordsTabled a defeated Royal Commission clause
UK Local Elections 2026: Commons refuses a cap on donationsBackground
Lisa Smart is the Liberal Democrat MP for Hazel Grove. In the Commons she has taken part in scrutiny of electoral law and party funding.
On 2 September 2026, during the Commons stages of the Representation of the People Bill, Smart moved a new clause for a Royal Commission on donation limits. MPs rejected it, alongside two Conservative clauses from Katie Lam, and the Bill left the Commons with no cap on the size of a single political gift.
The Liberal Democrats then voted for the Bill at Third Reading, which passed by 411 to 102 that evening. Its retrospective ban on Cryptocurrency donations went to the Lords intact.
Smart's proposal falls short
On 2 September, Lisa Smart proposed a Royal Commission on donation limits during Commons consideration of the Representation of the People Bill. The House rejected the proposal, leaving no cap on the size of a single political gift in the legislation. Stella Creasy withdrew her own £500,000 ceiling the same day in exchange for a promised taskforce.
Later that day, the Commons passed the Bill by 411 votes to 102 and sent it to the Lords. Liberal Democrat support placed Smart’s party behind the Bill’s wider electoral changes, even though her own proposed commission had failed.
Why do the Liberal Democrats support the Representation of the People Bill?
What was Lisa Smart's Royal Commission clause?
Who is Lisa Smart?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 7 October 2026. Editorial standards.