Oral question asked in the House of Lords, by Lord Strathclyde (Conservative). It was answered on Wednesday, 5 December 2007.

Political Parties: Funding

Question: My Lords, is the Minister not aware that the Conservative Party is happy to rejoin talks if the Labour Party is happy to negotiate realistically on the scandal of affiliation fees to trade unions, whereby if people opt out they get no rebate or if they want affiliation fees going to other parties they do not get them? Is that not the sort of reality we need to debate in future?

Answer: My Lords, the Conservative Party’s submission to the Neill committee in 1998 said: "““The question of trade union funding of parties is not a matter of direct concern to the Conservative Party””." The Conservative Party does not believe that it is illegitimate for the trade union movement to provide support for political parties. The facts are that trade union affiliation and donations are subject to rigorous regulation and that 10 per cent of the affiliated members opt out, so those provisions provide. I say to the noble Lord, Lord Strathclyde, that the Hayden Phillips proposals none the less provide the basis for discussion between the parties. I urge him and his party to come back to those discussions.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 696 c1701
Session: 2007-08
Oral question type: Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Lords chamber
Subjects: Finance Elections Electoral Commission Political parties Regulation
Link: View this Oral question on www.publications.parliament.uk