Maybe the could add shareholders having to vote for political donations with the same criteria as the unions voting to strike. Otherwise it will just look like a partisan attack on Labour funding.
The Labour government rightly changed the rules regarding political funding by companies. Companies are required to have shareholder approval (via a vote at the AGM) in order to give a donation to a political party.
Very few listed UK companies now give political donations to any party; it is individuals who give donations.
It's incredibly revealing about the mind-set of some Labour supporters that they have such a lack of confidence in their party that they think union members won't fund Labour if given the choice about it and describe the giving of people this choice as "vindictive", "malignant" and "screwing over" Labour.
Why do Tory supporters automatically assume that everybody anti-tory is pro-Labour? Have they so much arrogance that they can't believe anyone non-labour would disagree with them?
Let me make my postion clear for the hard of thinking - I dislike the current Tory party members, their two-faced attitude and their treatment and demonization of the weak and vulnurable in society and do not trust them to do what is right for the country or the majority of its people, but to look after their own first and foremost with a pull the ladder up I'm alright attitude. The currant Tory party are nothing like how the Tories used to be, if anything Labour is closer to the original Tory principles than they are socialist principles, but saying that I've never been a Labour supporter and never voted for them (but have actually voted Tory in the past - yup thats right a former Tory supporter that dislikes the way the party has gone) - but if calling me a Labour supporter, left-wing, a socialist etc makes you feel better then carry on.
Why do Tory supporters automatically assume that everybody anti-tory is pro-Labour? Have they so much arrogance that they can't believe anyone non-labour would disagree with them?
Let me make my postion clear for the hard of thinking - I dislike the current Tory party members, their two-faced attitude and their treatment and demonization of the weak and vulnurable in society and do not trust them to do what is right for the country or the majority of its people, but to look after their own first and foremost with a pull the ladder up I'm alright attitude. The currant Tory party are nothing like how the Tories used to be, if anything Labour is closer to the original Tory principles than they are socialist principles, but saying that I've never been a Labour supporter and never voted for them (but have actually voted Tory in the past - yup thats right a former Tory supporter that dislikes the way the party has gone) - but if calling me a Labour supporter, left-wing, a socialist etc makes you feel better then carry on.
If you're arguing for an automatic levy to be applied on union members to fund the Labour Party then what else can I realistically think? I don't understand why would you support the automatic funding of a party you don't actually support?
Do you have money to throw away so basically it doesn't matter? I only want it to be a choice. In England most members will probably choose to support Labour anyway.
Hilarious that you assume anyone who wants this to be a proper choice rather than just fund Labour automatically is a "Tory". You've not been in Scotland or read what's happening here I guess!
I don't think they've much to fear tbh. I do my bit here in Scotland to encourage union members to opt out if they're SNP supporters. This will make it a lot easier. Outside Scotland I can't imagine many union members not ticking the box to say they support Labour. But it's obvious some Labour members are terrified of people having such a choice which is a shame.
Well you were wrong about me so maybe you don't know people as well as you appear to think you do.
I have never paid any thing towards the Labour party so why would I expect anyone else to ?
If you're arguing for an automatic levy to be applied on union members to fund the Labour Party then what else can I realistically think? I don't understand why would you support the automatic funding of a party you don't actually support?
Do you have money to throw away so basically it doesn't matter? I only want it to be a choice. In England most members will probably choose to support Labour anyway.
Hilarious that you assume anyone who wants this to be a proper choice rather than just fund Labour automatically is a "Tory". You've not been in Scotland or read what's happening here I guess!
If you'd read my earlier post, I said I'd opted out of any of my Unite membership fee going to Labour by ticking a checkbox when I joined. I also think there should be a total overhaul of party funding so no third party has undue influence over any party policy etc regardless of whether its unions, businesses, organisations or individual donors, rather than just target Labour.
Carry on I say. Totally partisan attack on the way the opposition party is funded.
At least it's not bankrolled by a small bunch of self-interested millionaires.
I say carry on because I really want people in this country to see how discussing an unfettered and savage tory government is going to be.
^^^ *applause*
There's just no need for them to undertake this partisan and vindictive measure:
Tories banked more donation money than all other political parties combined, new figures The Conservatives banked more money from donations than all the other political parties put together, the latest Electoral Commission figures showed as David Cameron was accused of mounting a partisan attack on Labour’s main source of income. The Tories were given £15.4m of the £30.6m received by the parties in the first three months of this year compared with £9.33m collected by Labour and £3m given to the Liberal Democrats. The Scottish National Party was given £1.05m and Ukip just under £1m. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tories-banked-more-donation-money-than-all-other-political-parties-combined-new-figures-say-10282841.html
“The Conservative Party is still reliant on a small pool of large donors, outspending other parties by millions. It is no wonder the Tories are focusing on partisan politics rather than engaging in meaningful reforms to our party funding system. The Conservatives should be focusing on what’s best for the nation as a whole, rather than launching a brazenly political attack on trade unions, who stand up for millions of working people.”
Be honest, you're for limiting the amount individuals can donate to the Tory party.
Focusing on "individuals" is just as transparent as the Tories focusing on "unions"
So why did Labour propose doing this?
It's an easy call for the Tories. They're correcting something that is fundamentally wrong, and in the process hamstringing their opponents. The fact that Labour were prepared to do exactly the same thing pretty much makes any charge of the Tories being the villains of this issue utterly spurious.
It's an easy call for the Tories. They're correcting something that is fundamentally wrong, and in the process hamstringing their opponents. The fact that Labour were prepared to do exactly the same thing pretty takes makes any charge of the Tories being the villains of this issue utterly spurious.
Surely this has to apply to all organisations. You can't just single out trade unions. Any organisation that gives a political donation must now be clear it has the approval of it's members to do so. Shareholders in companies being the obvious example. As for the idea that some of these companies' donations are actually individuals - well they should have to come out of the woodwork and say who they are in the name of transparency. The idea that Unions should be singled out for how they make their donations but any other organisation can do what it wants is absurd.
Comments
The Labour government rightly changed the rules regarding political funding by companies. Companies are required to have shareholder approval (via a vote at the AGM) in order to give a donation to a political party.
Very few listed UK companies now give political donations to any party; it is individuals who give donations.
Why do Tory supporters automatically assume that everybody anti-tory is pro-Labour? Have they so much arrogance that they can't believe anyone non-labour would disagree with them?
Let me make my postion clear for the hard of thinking - I dislike the current Tory party members, their two-faced attitude and their treatment and demonization of the weak and vulnurable in society and do not trust them to do what is right for the country or the majority of its people, but to look after their own first and foremost with a pull the ladder up I'm alright attitude. The currant Tory party are nothing like how the Tories used to be, if anything Labour is closer to the original Tory principles than they are socialist principles, but saying that I've never been a Labour supporter and never voted for them (but have actually voted Tory in the past - yup thats right a former Tory supporter that dislikes the way the party has gone) - but if calling me a Labour supporter, left-wing, a socialist etc makes you feel better then carry on.
If you're arguing for an automatic levy to be applied on union members to fund the Labour Party then what else can I realistically think? I don't understand why would you support the automatic funding of a party you don't actually support?
Do you have money to throw away so basically it doesn't matter? I only want it to be a choice. In England most members will probably choose to support Labour anyway.
Hilarious that you assume anyone who wants this to be a proper choice rather than just fund Labour automatically is a "Tory". You've not been in Scotland or read what's happening here I guess!
Well you were wrong about me so maybe you don't know people as well as you appear to think you do.
I have never paid any thing towards the Labour party so why would I expect anyone else to ?
NO.
I for limiting the amount individuals can donate to political parties. Anyone with an ounce of fairness in them should be too.
If you'd read my earlier post, I said I'd opted out of any of my Unite membership fee going to Labour by ticking a checkbox when I joined. I also think there should be a total overhaul of party funding so no third party has undue influence over any party policy etc regardless of whether its unions, businesses, organisations or individual donors, rather than just target Labour.
At least it's not bankrolled by a small bunch of self-interested millionaires.
I say carry on because I really want people in this country to see how discussing an unfettered and savage tory government is going to be.
A political fund is a matter for the unions themselves.
Quite so. Now we just need to remove all rules on political donations and turn into the US.
If Red Len wants to bankroll Labour and dictate its decision making, so should rich people in every other party.
No, but instead by a group of low paid workers who are, in many cases unknowingly, having money deducted from their weekly/monthly salary...
Be honest, you're for limiting the amount individuals can donate to the Tory party.
Focusing on "individuals" is just as transparent as the Tories focusing on "unions"
^^^ *applause*
There's just no need for them to undertake this partisan and vindictive measure:
Tories banked more donation money than all other political parties combined, new figures
The Conservatives banked more money from donations than all the other political parties put together, the latest Electoral Commission figures showed as David Cameron was accused of mounting a partisan attack on Labour’s main source of income. The Tories were given £15.4m of the £30.6m received by the parties in the first three months of this year compared with £9.33m collected by Labour and £3m given to the Liberal Democrats. The Scottish National Party was given £1.05m and Ukip just under £1m.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/tories-banked-more-donation-money-than-all-other-political-parties-combined-new-figures-say-10282841.html
So why did Labour propose doing this?
It's an easy call for the Tories. They're correcting something that is fundamentally wrong, and in the process hamstringing their opponents. The fact that Labour were prepared to do exactly the same thing pretty much makes any charge of the Tories being the villains of this issue utterly spurious.
Exactly
I'm for what's fair and balanced. You clearly are not.
The funding of political parties in this country is a joke and makes a total mockery of this so called democracy.
How is it fair and balanced to want to limit the funding of the Tory party but not Labour?
I agree - both parties are in the pocket of special interests