
A newsletter dedicated to revealing how dark money and hidden influence threaten our democracy
| Platform | Pricing | Only free issues | Publishes | Twice weekly | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Issues | 251 | Founded | 3 years ago | Last Issue | 7 days ago |
| Active | |||||

Back in May 2024, I asked a simple question on Democracy for Sale: “Richard Tice has given millions to keep Reform afloat - why?”
The then Reform leader had loaned his party £1.08million, mostly through companies he controlled.
During an...
By John Heathershaw
A growing number of Britain’s top universities are trapped in a crisis which seems to have no end in sight. As funding shortfalls lead to staff cuts and strike action, morale is low and goodwill exhausted.
Almost half...
By Robert Barrington
The British tend not to think of themselves as being corrupt. This is somewhat belied by the history of the Empire, in which – like most empires – corruption by those in power was rife. But we have become so used to as...
A lot has been happening this week. But I want to start with some good news: Democracy for Sale has been shortlisted for specialist newsletter of the year at the Future of the Media Awards 2026. 🥳
It’s a real recognition of our work. Than...
MPs, healthcare experts and NHS insiders are calling on Andy Burnham’s new government to end the NHS’s controversial £330m contract with Palantir, after our investigation revealed remarkably low levels of usage of the tech firm’s software i...
Subscribers, engagement, traffic and sponsorship for Democracy for Sale.
| Subscribers | Engagement | 84 | Monthly Web Visits | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accepts Sponsors | Estimated Cost per Ad | ||||
Where Democracy for Sale ranks on Google, and how much search traffic it brings in.
| Ranked Keywords | 984 | Monthly Search Traffic | Top Keywords |
|---|
How this newsletter ranks in the official Substack charts.
| #26 | |
| #30 |
The writers behind this newsletter.
Editor of award-winning investigative newsletter Democracy for Sale. Author of best-selling book of same name. Winner of 2026 Paul Foot Award.
Investigative reporter based in London covering dark money and hidden influence with a special focus on the environment.
I am Professor of International Relations at the University of Exeter and a research associate of the Centre for the Study of Bible and Violence. I was an aid worker in West Africa and Central Asia and an academic in the Kyrgyz Republic and the US.
Jenna is a reporter for Democracy for Sale
You can find recent issues that have been published by Democracy for Sale on Reletter by scrolling up to where it says Latest Issues. Tap on the link for any of the most recent emails or hit More Issues to see older ones.
To see how many people subscribe to Democracy for Sale, simply upgrade your Reletter account. We provide readership numbers and lots of other stats for this newsletter so you can decide if it's worth reaching out to.
Newsletter advertising can be extremely effective when it's done right. Before you pitch Democracy for Sale as a potential sponsor or partner, make sure that you've done your research and checked its newsletter stats with Reletter.
Then, personalize one of our winning pitching templates and send it to the right person using the contact info provided.
Newsletter ad rates (or CPM) vary depending on many factors, including industry, number of subscribers, open rate, ad placement and more.
To find out how much an ad will cost, contact Democracy for Sale using the contact information provided and ask for a copy of their media kit.
Scroll up to where it says Related Newsletters to see other publications like Democracy for Sale. You can also search our email newsletter directory to discover other newsletters that cover the topics you're interested in.
Reletter provides this newsletter's website URL above, where you will often find their contact information. We also provide links to associated social media accounts and pitching templates so you can reach out fast.