Comments on: Hain resignation: end to Labour’s funding row woes? http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/01/24/hain-resignation-end-to-labours-woes/ Our UK correspondents' insights Tue, 7 Oct 2008 09:16:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Guy Beres » Blog Archive » Great clunking fist meets online world http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/01/24/hain-resignation-end-to-labours-woes/#comment-510 Guy Beres » Blog Archive » Great clunking fist meets online world Sun, 27 Jan 2008 23:15:40 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/01/24/hain-resignation-end-to-labours-woes/#comment-510 [...] man has not been able to take a trick, with the government shuddering to embarrassing scandal to embarrassing scandal. Tory leader David Cameron is doing a pretty good job of delivering ruthless soundbites to the [...] […] man has not been able to take a trick, with the government shuddering to embarrassing scandal to embarrassing scandal. Tory leader David Cameron is doing a pretty good job of delivering ruthless soundbites to the […]

]]> By: Ian M. http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/01/24/hain-resignation-end-to-labours-woes/#comment-501 Ian M. Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:25:09 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/01/24/hain-resignation-end-to-labours-woes/#comment-501 Peter Hain's downfall was due entirely to his arrogance. He was fully aware of the rules concerning party funding but chose not to follow them. This is what happens when a party has been in power for too long, ministers, and MP's alike, seem to come to believe they are invincible and no longer accountable to anyone, least of all the electorate. Peter Hain’s downfall was due entirely to his arrogance. He was fully aware of the rules concerning party funding but chose not to follow them. This is what happens when a party has been in power for too long, ministers, and MP’s alike, seem to come to believe they are invincible and no longer accountable to anyone, least of all the electorate.

]]> By: Stephen Deen http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/01/24/hain-resignation-end-to-labours-woes/#comment-500 Stephen Deen Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:10:51 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/01/24/hain-resignation-end-to-labours-woes/#comment-500 Abolish external funding completely - full stop. However, political parties need some form of funding, and the good old taxpayer will have to step into the breach. What should then happen is sufficient funding for the parties to function effectively, but no more. The FT ran a story some weeks ago quoting that the upcoming US election was likely to cost $1 billion in donations / funding. What do the contributors expect for their $1 billion? Let this be the opportunity for self-delusional advertising to come to an end. Let the politicians win votes with well contructed arguments - not catch phrases on bill boards. We the voters would then be better served. Abolish external funding completely - full stop.
However, political parties need some form of funding, and the good old taxpayer will have to step into the breach.
What should then happen is sufficient funding for the parties to function effectively, but no more.
The FT ran a story some weeks ago quoting that the upcoming US election was likely to cost $1 billion in donations / funding. What do the contributors expect for their $1 billion?
Let this be the opportunity for self-delusional advertising to come to an end.
Let the politicians win votes with well contructed arguments - not catch phrases on bill boards.
We the voters would then be better served.

]]> By: Mike T http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/01/24/hain-resignation-end-to-labours-woes/#comment-496 Mike T Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:10:14 +0000 http://blogs.reuters.com/uknews/2008/01/24/hain-resignation-end-to-labours-woes/#comment-496 It really doesn't matter that individual politicians or political parties get their money from varied sources, provided that all of it is openly declared and the information is available to the public, which is what the current reporting requirements are supposed to achieve. The source of funds reveals a lot that a voter needs to know about a politician's real allegiances and is the reason that (1) politicians try to hide those sources and (2) they lobby for the parties to be funded by the taxpayer, which would remove the recurring embarrassment of having their more dubious sources identified. All that is needed is redrafting of the existing reporting requirements into plain English to remove the fudge factor and proper enforcement of the requirements thereafter. Perhaps barring miscreants from parliament for a while would concentrate the minds of all. As for Hain, he had his stint as little tin god in Northern Ireland and lost sight of the real world, so is suffering the consequences. The sooner some of his like-minded buddies go the same way, the better for the rest of us. We don't get many good days out of Labour, but this is one of them. It really doesn’t matter that individual politicians or political parties get their money from varied sources, provided that all of it is openly declared and the information is available to the public, which is what the current reporting requirements are supposed to achieve. The source of funds reveals a lot that a voter needs to know about a politician’s real allegiances and is the reason that (1) politicians try to hide those sources and (2) they lobby for the parties to be funded by the taxpayer, which would remove the recurring embarrassment of having their more dubious sources identified. All that is needed is redrafting of the existing reporting requirements into plain English to remove the fudge factor and proper enforcement of the requirements thereafter.
Perhaps barring miscreants from parliament for a while would concentrate the minds of all.

As for Hain, he had his stint as little tin god in Northern Ireland and lost sight of the real world, so is suffering the consequences. The sooner some of his like-minded buddies go the same way, the better for the rest of us. We don’t get many good days out of Labour, but this is one of them.

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