The latest news from the Electoral Commission has exposed the parlous state of the main parties’ finances (Tory / Labour). It’s easy to understand why – with such debts – the party leaders are conspiring against the public to increase state funding of political parties. A new website has been launched by former Tory MP […]
BBC News is reporting that Lord Ashcroft has suggested that moves toward state funding of political parties are "nonsense". In a House of Lords debate the former Tory Treasurer said that political parties should be prohibited from being able to further poke their fingers into the public purse. It is, of course, the policy of […]
According to BBC Online Sir Hayden Phillips – commissioned by the Government to look into the funding of political parties – has set out four scenarios for the future of public funding: minimal change increased transparency a cap on donations and greater levels of public funding. Francis Maude’s response focuses on Labour’s union dependency: “We […]
The Labour Party’s National Executive Committee has today launched its review of the Party’s position on party funding. They will be consulting Labour members and affiliates for two months and then putting together some proposals for their Autumn Conference. This comes after a government review into party funding was launched two weeks ago headed by […]
With David Cameron at 37% to 38% in the opinion polls, CCHQ has chosen a good time to launch a funding drive across the whole party membership. My invitation to give arrived in this morning’s post. The fundraising letter is posted on the right (click the graphic to enlarge it). The heart of the appeal […]
Yesterday evening ConservativeHome published Tory members’ ranking of international challenges. Today we’ll be publishing more results from the April survey. We begin with a finding that Tory members reject the idea that a "major proportion of funding for political parties should come directly from the state" by 81% to 13%. David Cameron and Andrew Tyrie […]
In the Guardian/ ICM poll, published today, only 20% agreed that public money should be used to finance political parties. A whopping 77% thought it should not. Yesterday, from the Electoral Commission, we learnt what the political parties spent their donors’ money on. Here is my colour-coded top ten of ‘General Election expenses’ which explain […]
10 Downing Street has announced the names of 23 new members of the House of Lords. Top names include David Trimble as an Ulster Unionist peer and Bill Morris, former T&GWU leader, for Labour. None of the Labour peers gave money to the party, Radio 4 is reporting. Labour’s big donors who were nominated either […]
A Populus survey for this morning’s Times confirms the pattern of recent polls that point to a modest slippage in support for the Tories. The main two parties were level-pegging at 35% each in Populus’ March survey. Labour has now opened up a 2% lead. The ConservativeHome Poll of Polls now puts Labour up by […]
CCHQ has just released the names of individuals who have lent the Tories £16m. A pdf of the full Francis Maude statement can be read here. Here are four highlights: "Like all the main political parties, the Conservative Party has entered into loan arrangements to fund the considerable cost of campaigning. In the run up […]
The Times: "The Tories will today name the rich benefactors who secretly lent the party £20 million as Scotland Yard widened its inquiry into the alleged sale of political honours. David Cameron, the Tory leader, bowed to mounting political pressure and agreed to a demand by the Electoral Commission for complete transparency." The Independent: "Mr […]
Today’s Guardian reports that "Scotland Yard will broaden its "loans for peerages" investigation to cover the Conservative party as well as Labour". Mr Cameron has proposed sweeping reforms of political funding arrangements. He has inherited nearly all of the hidden loan obligations from before he was leader although his tenure has been tarnished by a […]
There has been almost universal opposition to state funding of political parties from visitors to this blog. Some object to any state funding in principle and must, therefore, object to the current funding of the policy work of political parties through Short Money (worth c£4m pa to the Conservatives). I have no ‘in principle’ objection […]
The Sunday newspapers have caught up with Iain Dale’s blog and told the world that an Australian hedge fund millionaire is one of the Tory party’s previously secret lenders. The Observer also unmasks Johan Eliasch, a Swedish sports equipment tycoon and Finnish property billionaire Poju Zabludowicz. A bigger and much less savoury story can be […]
There is speculation that a Sunday newspaper will reveal the names of the businessmen who loaned money to the Tories during 2005. Up until now the Conservatives have said that they will not break confidentiality undertakings that were made to their lenders. Lenders to the Tory party apparently fear that, if their identities are revealed, […]