Do you support State Funding for Political Parties?

[slim]

John Prescott is in the news saying that state funding for political parties would help to ensure problems such as cash for peereges would cease to be a problem.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6187881.stm

My view is that political parties should be self financing and ALL DONATIONS should be open and available for public scrutiny. Government costs us enough of our hard earned cash without wasting it on election campaigns.

Interestig to see RR views.....

 

[angrydoc]

Couldn't agree more, slim.

 

[Slop_Jockey]

John Prescott is in the news saying that state funding for political parties would help to ensure problems such as cash for peereges would cease to be a problem.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6187881.stm

My view is that political parties should be self financing and ALL DONATIONS should be open and available for public scrutiny. Government costs us enough of our hard earned cash without wasting it on election campaigns.

Interestig to see RR views.....

I think you answered that particular question quite well.

 

[come_the_day]

Very rarely agree with Labour politicos, although I very rarely agree with any, to be honest!

One I do support is Clare Short. Her answer to the 4 yearly round of claptrap is to always have a coalition government, with elections only deciding on the balance of that government's complexion. Bring that one on!

 

[F169]

Absolutely not!

 

[grefs]

Definately not.

 

[andym]

Sod them all,they steal enough of my Taxes as it is!!!!

 

[Nutty]

I agree with every one, No Fecking way.

Now that's a first

Nutty

 

[Greenie]

If the tax man funded political parties then it would mean we could all
put our names down as prospective candidates------- and get paid .
Nice little earner :lol: :lol:

Give Gordon a surprise

 

[Seadog]

Greenie wrote

If the tax man funded political parties then it would mean we could all
put our names down as prospective candidates------- and get paid .
Nice little earner

It isn't that simple. Deposit up front is required, nominations if standing as an independent and; this might cause snags, members of the Armed Forces (and several others) can't become MPs and I'm pretty sure you can't even be a candidate. Get elected then put your notice in? If you're still in you'll need to leave before not getting elected. Bummer!

And the funding may pay the candidates team and for publicity, but not the candidate.

Parties should be funded by supporters, not the State and (especially financial ) supporters should not be rewarded by the parties.

 

[Maxi_77]

I think central funding of parties will not solve the cash for peerages problems as the government will never provide all the cash a party wants so all the parties will still need private funding.

I have no real problem with long term party supporters being rewarded through the honours system as long as it is clearly for that support, I think much of the present problem is about people whose financial support has been relatively short termed and in some cases the honour was not clearly for support of the party involved.

In many ways government funding for parties opens up a very big can of worms, what if the BNP qualifies and say Plaid Cwmrydoesn't? How does a new party get started, and so on.

Peter

 

[Not_a_boffin]

Doesn't come over in teh bBC article, but also buzzing around in the background is the ludicrous suggestion that parties get funding according to their representation in Parliament. Note that this "funding" is not for public services, but purely for party expenses (ie getting re-elected) - so allocating state funds that way works towards guaranteeing that the party in power stays in power. How unlike new liabour to think of that....

We've got to stake these blood-sucking [email protected] out in the sunlight to make sure they're gone.