---

Political Parties and Elections Bill

If my noble friend remembers, we had this conversation outside the Committee upstairs in the meeting between the parties. The proposition does not have widespread support because the Official Opposition have not agreed that it is the way forward. Indeed, it is distinctly possible that they may at some stage in the future take a partisan position on some matter relating to political funding which might be damaging to another party. So why are preoccupied with consensus? I agree entirely with what the noble Lord, Lord Tyler, said about consensus: we are being led astray by it.