Tag: party funding
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Jacob Rowbottom: Third Party Spending Controls and the Lobbying Bill
The Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill is proving to be controversial for various reasons – not least for proposing amendments to controls on third party spending during election campaigns (under the current law independent organisations have to register with the Electoral Commission if they spend over a certain amount on…
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Keith Ewing: Another Political Attack on Free Speech
The Battle of Falkirk is a symptom of a bitter civil war in the Labour party. On the one side are the cavaliers, the Blairite faction led by Progress, a well-funded campaign group. On the other side are the roundheads, a trade union grounded interest, committed to return the Party to its roots. Both sides…
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Jacob Rowbottom: Cash for access and the problems of party funding
Following the Sunday Times cash for access sting, political parties are reported to be putting negotiations on reforming party funding on the fast track. Such discussions among the parties do not have a good record of success. The breakdown of negotiations over the Sir Hayden Phillips proposals in 2007 is well known. The report…