Two things can be confidently forecast about the Labour Party funding debacle: firstly that several party apparatchiks will cling to power even though their dishonesty and incompetence has been exposed beyond all doubt. The second is that there will soon be calls (from the Political Class, naturally) for State (i.e. you and me) funding of political parties.
The way they will express it is 'If we want to avoid this sort of thing happening in the future (as if it has been a natural phenomenon and not abuse of power by the Political Class) we should regulate by law the amount they can receive and this obviously leads to State donations'.
It would be hard to exaggerate what an awful thing it would be if this were to be let through. A minor, but significant argument against it is that small parties would find it hard to grow, starved of funds and unable to get them anywhere else (as a founder of the UKIP I am sensitive to this). But far, far more important is that the Parties (the big ones, that is) wouldn't have to try to behave in such a way as to attract membership and donations. The Political Class (and I am aware that is the third time I have used the term in this post but that is what it is all about) would become even more detached from the people than they are now.
I have occasionaly referred to the systemic corruption in Italian politics where they have State Funding. It is the same in all the others including the European Union itself.
No, we must resist it at all costs in the UK.
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