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Plans to change political party funding to be published | Plans to change political party funding to be published |
(40 minutes later) | |
New proposals on funding political parties are expected to recommend a big increase in taxpayer funding. | |
It has been reported they could include a £10,000 cap on individual donations and changes to union donations. | |
The Committee on Standards in Public Life proposals could also include giving state funding to parties worth £3 for every vote they receive. | The Committee on Standards in Public Life proposals could also include giving state funding to parties worth £3 for every vote they receive. |
Deputy PM Nick Clegg has already said he does not want taxpayers to be asked to pay more to fund political parties. | |
The report is due to be published on Tuesday at 1030 BST. | |
'Immensely important' | |
It is expected to recommend a £10,000 cap on individual donations and member approval for union donations. | |
That would be likely to lead to a fall in income for the Conservatives and Labour - with money instead coming from taxpayers at the rate of £3 per vote. | |
Under the 2010 general election results, it would mean about £32.2m for the Conservatives, who got 10.7m votes, about £25.8m for Labour, who got 8.6m votes and £20.5m for the Lib Dems, who got 6.8m votes. | |
But any finding depends on agreement from all the main political parties. | |
The deputy prime minister's comments in the House of Commons earlier this month may limit the chances of success. | |
He said while it was "immensely important" to clear up party funding "it would not be right to ask our hard-pressed taxpayers to pay more to political parties at a time when they are having to deal with so many cuts and savings elsewhere". | |
The £3-per-vote proposal would see a huge increase in state funding of political parties, worth up to £100m over a five-year Parliament. | |
The report is the latest in a series of attempts to reform party funding, which grew in urgency in the wake of the cash-for-honours affair. | |
The coalition agreement between the Conservatives and Lib Dems pledged to "pursue a detailed agreement on limiting donations and reforming party funding in order to remove big money from politics". | |
No agreement | |
But finding a solution that has cross-party agreement has previously proved difficult. | |
Labour, with its heavy dependence on the trade unions for funding, resists curbs on unions donating on behalf of individual members. | Labour, with its heavy dependence on the trade unions for funding, resists curbs on unions donating on behalf of individual members. |
The Conservatives, who rely more on large individual donors, are against further restrictions on what they can give. | The Conservatives, who rely more on large individual donors, are against further restrictions on what they can give. |
The committee's chairman, Sir Christopher Kelly, has said he hopes his body's independence from any political party will make the report's findings more acceptable to voters. | |
At present there are no limits on donations, but the name of anyone who gives more than £7,500 to a party is made public. | At present there are no limits on donations, but the name of anyone who gives more than £7,500 to a party is made public. |
The last major attempt to reform party funding began in 2006, at the time of the cash-for-honours affairs. | The last major attempt to reform party funding began in 2006, at the time of the cash-for-honours affairs. |
Former Permanent Secretary Sir Hayden Phillips was asked to find as much of a consensus as possible on a future system for funding. | Former Permanent Secretary Sir Hayden Phillips was asked to find as much of a consensus as possible on a future system for funding. |
He recommended a £50,000 limit on cash donations to parties, but after five sessions of talks with Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, the process broke down without agreement. | He recommended a £50,000 limit on cash donations to parties, but after five sessions of talks with Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, the process broke down without agreement. |
The Cabinet Office - which would introduce any change - has set a deadline of December 2014 for legislation. | The Cabinet Office - which would introduce any change - has set a deadline of December 2014 for legislation. |