Unlock Democracy welcomes Lords vote to ban donations from "non-doms"

Tuesday, 16 June 2009 12:00 AM

Commenting on the surprise Government defeat in the Lords on an opposition amendment banning non-residents and so called "non-doms" from donating to political parties, Alexandra Runswick, Unlock Democracy's Deputy Director said:

"We welcome the Lords' decision to block donations from tax exiles. This is a first step towards closing the loopholes which exist in the current laws on donations to political parties. Peers have an opportunity to go much further on Wednesday by supporting the Liberal Democrat amendment introducing a cap on donations to political parties.

"A cap on donations, an idea long supported by the public, is the most effective way of challenging the perception that our politics is up for sale. Without reform we will simply continue to lurch from scandal to scandal.

"The Conservatives have long publicly supported a cap but up until now have co-operated with Labour to block the idea, just as they tried to do with this amendment both last night. We urge them to reconsider."

The Voting Breakdown for the last nights amendment can be found here. Day Two of Report Stage on the Political Parties and Elections Bill will commence in the House of Lords from 3pm tomorrow (Wednesday). The Marshalled List of Amendments can be found here.

The State of the Nation polls, conducted every few years on behalf of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd, consistently show that the public support limiting the amounts that can be donated to political parties. The last such poll in 2006 for example found that 64% of the public agreed that donations should be capped.

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