Douglas Carswell's Blog

Four thoughts on party funding ....

Some thoughts on political donations.

1. No more taxpayer funded politics

If political parties have got things wrong, then it is they that need to change. Recent headlines cannot be an excuse to get the taxpayer to pay for party politics.

Parties might like to try to live within their means and raise donations on line. They must not be allowed to do a squalid deal in SW1 that allows them to help themselves to taxpayer cash.

If parties relied on lots of £25 donations, and on fewer £250,000 ones, they might listen as attentively to the mass of smaller donors as they perhaps do to the larger. If they relied on the state to write the cheque, they'd pay little attention to anyone.

2. Sunshine is the best disinfectant

Rather than invent an IPSA-type quango to over see political parties as well as MPs, the answer lies in transparency. Any new rules need to ensure politicians are asking not "do the rules allow it", but rather "what would the voters think".

Common sense should define what is acceptable, not complicated compliance.

3. Ministers need advice

If no one could give ministers policy advice without approval from the departmental permanent secretary, as could now happen, in what sense would we remain a democracy? To ensure we are not a plutocracy, we need to strengthen democracy, not turn into a technocracy.

4. The reform agenda has stalled. We need to regain the reform initiative

The new model Conservatives used to understand the need to change politics. But since entering office we have either soft-pedaled, or back-pedaled.

We need to press for change.  Not only on party funding and transparency, but on all the things we said about making politics more open and accountable to the ordinary voter.  See The Plan for details.... (Incidentally, if any ministers do, remember it is a plan for action, not just a narrative).

For change to happen, we need not just a determination to change, but a Policy Unit that is not simply filled up with more-of-the-same civil servants.  Where, I keep wondering, are the elected MPs buzzing about the Policy Unit?

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