A STRICT CAP ON ALL POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS, INCLUDING INDIVIDUALS, CORPORATIONS, AND TRADE UNIONS

The greatest sin of all governance is Conflict of Interest (far more damaging to good governance than any sexual peccadilloes). In future years, it will seem primitive and unethical that businesses or Trade Unions should seek to influence government decisions by donating large sums of money. Not only should there be no conflict of interest, but also there should never be a PERCEPTION of conflict of interest. Bernie Ecclestone’s large contribution to the Labour Party, and the subsequent redaction of a ban on tobacco advertising is a memorable example. Political parties may claim that they need large sums of money for their campaigns; but do we need all those advertising billboards, with slick advertisements crafted by PR companies.

With the rise of the internet, there is no reason why political parties should not pay more attention to individuals, and raise large amounts of money from small contributions. In the United States, Barack Obama raised huge and sufficient amounts through the social media. This might also encourage the political parties to develop closer relations with their dwindling local organizations!