Party funding

Question 1

What is short funding ?

Answer 1

Funding provided for the opposition parties in the house of commons

Question 2

Biggest donations from a single person to Labour and Conservative

Answer 2

Con : £1.5 million

Lab : £65,000

Question 3

Arguments for state funding

Answer 3

• Cash for honours accelerates the view that MPs are corrupt
• decline in party membership means funding is more open to corruption
• Major parties have a huge influence under the current funding process
• Improve democracy as everything is equal

Question 4

Arguments against state funding

Answer 4

• Taxpayers may object to funding what can be considered to be private organisations
• It would be difficult to distribute funding
• State funding = excessive state regulation of parties
• Parties may lose some of their independence

Question 5

What act passed regulating party funding and what did it entail ?

Answer 5

Political parties, elections and Referendums Act 2000

• Only people on the UK electoral roll could make donations
• Donations over £500 had to be declared
• Limits placed on ho much could be spent on parliamentary elections

Question 6

Labour 2014-15 contributions from trade unions

Answer 6

£11 million - nearly 60% of their income

Question 7

Alternative funding structures

Answer 7

• cap the size of individual donations to parties eg used in the US
• Impose tight restrictions on how parties can spend
• Replace all funding with state funding

Question 8

Short money since 2015

Answer 8

Lab : £6.7 million
SNP : £1.2 million
UKIP : £500,000 for only one MP