IN the 2010 General Election campaign Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats all proposed reform in the way political parties are funded.
The Coalition Agreement pledged to take that reform forward. Yet even before Sir Christopher Kelly’s clear and thorough report on the issue appeared yesterday, it was being ripped to shreds from all sides.
This is a pity. Everyone agrees that the present funding arrangements are a mess. Ten years ago legislation obliged parties to identify all those donating more than £7,500 but this merely demonstrated the extent to which all the major parties depend on a small number of extremely wealthy donors.
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