News today shows that the Conservatives received much more cash in donations than New Labour last year. They received£24.2 million in total, ( including gifts in kind and state funding) which is nearly twice the amount of Labour's total finances- standing at a mere £12.3 million.
In Wales, the issue comes down to whether or not the British parties really do want to fight the Assembly election on Welsh issues only. They may announce publicly that this is so, but behind closed doors, are they not scrappling to get their hands on HQ money that can fund a larger, possibly more successful Assembly election campaign?
If they are serious about Wales and the development of the National Assembly for Wales, then these parties must fight the election in it's entirety on a principled stand that Wales comes first- this must include a discussion on who donations are from, and where they are from. I believe that all parties should use money from Welsh donors, and donors in Wales. As a member of Plaid, I believe firmly in this, as it corresponds with my aspiration of establishing a Wales which can stand on it's own two feet. For the Tories, Lib dems and Labour, such a step could highlight a clear ideological shift - from being financially dependent on money budgeted from their London centre, to promoting fundraising and campaigns on purely a Wales wide level.
There needs to be a complete overhaul in the funding system- an increase in state funding could be an option, but only under the premise that a cap on funding would be introduced on private donations for all parties, and strict guidelines as to how such funding is implemented. I also believe that correspondence of any possible funding between investors and political parties should be much more open, so that corruption can be avoided. Cases such as Labour's 'cash for honours' scandal would then (with luck!) be a thing of the past.
Only when parties sign up to an agenda that puts Wales first can Glyn Davies AM and others with similar opinions suggest that Rhodri Morgan should concentrate efforts on targeting Nick Bourne as the Leader of the Conservatives in Wales. And only then can Labour in Wales truly become the Welsh Labour party that they continuely seek to portray themselves as in the Welsh press in the run up to the election on May the 3rd.
In Wales, the issue comes down to whether or not the British parties really do want to fight the Assembly election on Welsh issues only. They may announce publicly that this is so, but behind closed doors, are they not scrappling to get their hands on HQ money that can fund a larger, possibly more successful Assembly election campaign?
If they are serious about Wales and the development of the National Assembly for Wales, then these parties must fight the election in it's entirety on a principled stand that Wales comes first- this must include a discussion on who donations are from, and where they are from. I believe that all parties should use money from Welsh donors, and donors in Wales. As a member of Plaid, I believe firmly in this, as it corresponds with my aspiration of establishing a Wales which can stand on it's own two feet. For the Tories, Lib dems and Labour, such a step could highlight a clear ideological shift - from being financially dependent on money budgeted from their London centre, to promoting fundraising and campaigns on purely a Wales wide level.
There needs to be a complete overhaul in the funding system- an increase in state funding could be an option, but only under the premise that a cap on funding would be introduced on private donations for all parties, and strict guidelines as to how such funding is implemented. I also believe that correspondence of any possible funding between investors and political parties should be much more open, so that corruption can be avoided. Cases such as Labour's 'cash for honours' scandal would then (with luck!) be a thing of the past.
Only when parties sign up to an agenda that puts Wales first can Glyn Davies AM and others with similar opinions suggest that Rhodri Morgan should concentrate efforts on targeting Nick Bourne as the Leader of the Conservatives in Wales. And only then can Labour in Wales truly become the Welsh Labour party that they continuely seek to portray themselves as in the Welsh press in the run up to the election on May the 3rd.
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