15JUL

Byrne pushes for a permanent crypto ban

1 min read

13:32UTC

Labour's Liam Byrne wants the crypto donation ban written permanently into law, not left as a moratorium a future government could lift by order.

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Key takeaway

Liam Byrne's NC34 amendment seeks a permanent crypto donation ban rather than a reversible moratorium.

Labour backbencher Liam Byrne tabled amendment NC34 at Report stage, going further than the government's own moratorium by seeking a permanent statutory ban on cryptocurrency political donations. ¹

A moratorium can be lifted by a later government through secondary legislation; a permanent statutory ban cannot, without fresh primary law. Byrne's amendment would fix the prohibition in the Act itself rather than leave it to ministerial discretion, hardening the finance bill Westminster shelved before the elections against a future reversal.

Deep Analysis

In plain English

The government's own crypto donation ban is a temporary rule that a future minister could quietly loosen. Labour MP Liam Byrne wants something sturdier. His proposal, amendment NC34, would write the ban into permanent law instead, meaning any future government wanting to allow crypto donations again would have to pass a whole new Act of Parliament, rather than simply changing a regulation.

Deep Analysis

Root Causes

Reed's government amendment is a moratorium rather than a permanent ban because it was drafted to survive Report stage without reopening the Bill's Rycroft Review basis to fresh scrutiny; a moratorium keeps the door open to future ministers loosening it by regulation.

Byrne's NC34 exists precisely to close that door, converting a policy that could lapse or be eased administratively into primary legislation that would require a fresh Act of Parliament to reverse.

Sources:Unchained

Mentions:Liam Byrne →Representation of the People Bill →Parliament →Westminster →

First Reported In

Update #12 · The finance bill Reform outran is back

Unchained· 15 Jul 2026

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Causes and effects

This Event

Byrne pushes for a permanent crypto ban

A permanent statutory ban would remove a later government's power to reopen crypto donations without fresh primary legislation.

Led to

Crypto donation ban backdated to March

Byrne's NC34 amendment pushes further than the government's own moratorium amendment tabled the same week.

Occurred 14 Jul 2026

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