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Party Funding Myth?
By Andy | April 23, 2008
While I’m still stuck on the train I thought I’d reflect on a report in today’s Guardian which highlights a new piece of research from the right-leaning think tank, the Policy Exchange, on political party spending.
The study claims that election spending by the Conservatives has actually declined, in real terms, by 4% between 1996 and 2005. It blames increases in spending on Kinnock and Blair trying to play catch-up.
Now, I’m not really going to get into the ins and outs of this - you”ll have your own views. But the report does make the point that Party funding is getting increasingly centralised around central-office operations. While the catch-up game escalated spend since 2000 national election costs, it is claimed, have almost halved. They reckon that election spending only accounts for 15% of the total spending of the main political parties anyway.
This is clearly designed to bolster the view that there is no need to introduce state funding for political parties. Jack Straw is pushing ahead with his plans to introduce a new system but it seems increasingly unlikely that the Tories or the Lib Dems will come to the table. So, Jack’s efforts seem to be doomed.
The centralisation of funding is our biggest problem. There’s no escaping the hard stuff. There was a time when people were falling over themselves to throw money at us but our politics are now the problem.
The new General Secretary may or may not take up his post in the autumn. But there would seem to be no quick fix for the funding crisis.
Topics: Party Reform |
April 24th, 2008 at 9:16 am
There is little point in funding the Tory Labour party now. God knows, the Trades Unions give them enough dosh, but Jockstrap and co just like to bite the hand that feeds them. Perhaps they should get Lord Levy back to offer a few peerages?
April 27th, 2008 at 6:40 am
Lord Levy puts the boot in!. Revenge is a dish best eaten cold, his Lordship has discovered: this great “Labour” figure says that Gordy is not nearly as good as the Princess Tony. How awful when the right-wing duckies fall out. And, by the way, who does Lord Mike say this to? - who does he tell?: The MAIL ON SUNDAY. Oh well, business is business!