I am sure you’ve seen the widespread attention given to Peter Cruddas’s promises to a Sunday Times ‘sting’ team that access to Policy Committees and the PM can come for a mere 100k per year. This is no price at all for many businesses and could be seen as good an investment as any other in today’s climate, where all businesses are seeking that killer competitive edge so they can ride the wave of the impending recovery.
The solution offered to this is public funding for the main parties and 50p per year per voter (in addition to a 10k ceiling on individual donations), suggested by a report by the Committee on Standards in Public Life. The politicians are unable to support this on the basis that ‘the voters’ can’t afford it during these austere times.
Aren’t we paying it anyway? These donations are just part of a cost base (one way or another) that go to make up the price of the goods and services we buy? So it would be cost neutral in the macro economy.
No it is simple, corporate sponsorship brings with it far to many fringe benefits for the average career MP for change to feel beneficial to them.
Must get back to the Beach, need to pour several Lib Dems more mojito’s before they sober up!
The BBB