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Political Parties (Funding and Expenditure)

Tight caps on individual donations and spending are essential to public support for the proposals, as is a debate on state funding, including existing state funding. As part of that debate, will the Government consider the Power commission proposals, under which state funding would be provided on a pence-per-vote basis only if electors chose to tick a box on the ballot paper? Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that that would focus parties' attention away from expensive billboard campaigns and back towards more grass-roots campaigning and, dare I say it, engagement with the public?