Unlock Democracy: Party funding left behind

Wednesday, 14, May 2008 12:00

The president of Unlock Democracy, Peter Facey, commenting on the pre-legislative draft of the Queen's Speech, said proposals on the regulation of party finance and expenditure had not yet been published, meaning the speech was missing vital issues.

"These proposals still have not yet been published and the fact that a bill on the subject has not been listed in the draft programme for 2008/2009 suggests that it has been kicked in the long grass," he said.

"Gordon Brown is fooling himself if he thinks he can get away with not cleaning up the way UK politics is funded."

"Without reform, another scandal will always be just around the corner. The longer the government dithers on this issue, the bigger problems it will store up for itself in the long term."