On a superficial level, a claim that the state funding of political parties is nothing more than the forced transfer of taxed income to disconnected Westminster elites seems credible. But a look below the surface reveals a compelling case that state funding would increase transparency in UK politics and limit the influence of corporate money in what should more appropriately be referred to as ‘state funding for democracy’.
The most convincing argument in favour of state funding is the need to diminish the influence of ‘big money’ donations to political parties. Since the 1997 ‘Ecclestone–New Labour’ affair there have been several legislative attempts to make party funding more transparent. However, it would be wrong to suggest that corporate or ‘big money’ donations no longer result in either excessive influence or an undermining of the democratic process.
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