Ming heads to Downing Street

Menzies Campbell makes his first official visit to No 10

Tuesday, 18, Apr 2006 12:00

Menzies Campbell is holding his first official meeting at Downing Street this evening since being elected leader of the Liberal Democrats last month.

Constitutional reforms will be at the top of the agenda, party officials said, with Sir Menzies set to call for clear changes to both party funding and the House of Lords.

The new Lib Dem leader will tell Tony Blair that the recent row about loans for peerages has "undermined public confidence in the political system".

He will call for a limit on annual donations to political parties, as well as a cap on spending and some form of state funding of parties.

Parties can currently spend up to £18 million on a general election campaign – both the Conservatives and Labour came close to that in last year's poll, but the Lib Dems spent barely more than £4 million.

"I am determined to put the case for a limit on annual donations from any individual or corporation, a cap on national party political expenditure and a limited extension in state funding of political parties," Sir Menzies said.

The issue of state funding is controversial, with many arguing there is no reason the taxpayer should cover the cost of campaigning – particularly if the reason for introducing such a funding system is because parties cannot be trusted to fund themselves honestly.

However, deputy prime minister John Prescott is one of those in favour of such a scheme, and recently reminded MPs that they had no moral problems with accepting Short money – which covers their parliamentary activities – and so should not object to state funding.

Sir Menzies will this evening also call for more urgent action on House of Lords reform, something that has shot up the political agenda ever since the loans for peerages row began. MPs have now been promised a free vote on the issue by the end of this year.

"It is quite clear that the House of Lords needs to be predominantly elected. And any unelected positions should then be appointed by an independent commission rather than by politicians," he declared.