I said it before: this party funding scandal will lead at least some people to insist upon State funding of political parties.
Mr Brown also sent a clear signal that he was prepared to consider a big increase in state funding for political parties.
W\’re going to get raped again. The chancers, spivs and crooks who make the up professional political class are simply aching to get their hands on a steady flow of cash from the taxpayers. Simply gagging for it. It\’ll create a bureaucratic structure within the parties, where those fighting for a seat can sit and wait, without having to go out into the real world and actually do anything, you know, like get a job. It will also entrench the extant parties at the expense of any that might arise in the future, and it\’ll kneecap even further any independents.
Further, once the State decide who gets the money then the State gets to decide what are the acceptable views which justify receiving such money. Remember what happened to Vlaams Blok?
Fuck \’em. If they can\’t raise money from voluntary donations that is not sufficient reason for their being supported by compulsory ones. If they can\’t raise the money from voluntary donations they should go bust, just like any other business which loses customer support.
Agreed, if you think you’ve seen corruption so far, just wait till those proposed changes come in.
Today’s Sky News poll has 93% against state funding…this will test MPs loyalties: the voters or themselves. I wonder which way they will jump?
Help appreciated – I’m looking for links to non-partisan reports on, and reviews of, funding the political parties in Britain and have found these so far:
HoC Library: The Funding of Political Parties April 2007
http://www.parliament.uk/commons/lib/research/rp2007/rp07-034.pdf
Electoral Commission: The Funding of Political Parties May 2003:
http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/files/dms/Fundingofpoliticalparties2_9778-7954__E__N__S__W__.pdf
[continued]
HoC Constitutional Affairs Party Funding – Session 2006-7:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmconst/163/163i.pdf
Any other recommendations?
So having demonstrated how crooked they are, they are demanding a free pension, from tha public purse, as a ransom?
I’m off to mug the Prime Minister, who’s with me?