Views
Vested interests work against the people - for The Inverness Courier
LAST week saw two disgraceful episodes in which the Government and the Conservative Party united to protect political vested interests against the people. Two chances to open up our broken political system were missed.
The Political Parties and Elections Bill has been brought forward to reform our political system. But it misses one of the major problems: the corrupting influence of large donations. The influence of big money — whether union donations to Labour or city bankers to the Tories — has long served to distort and influence government.
Allegations of cash for peerages are a recent example. The latest is the attempt by Lord Ashcroft to buy victory in marginal seats by flooding local Conservative associations with unprecedented amounts of cash.
A year ago an attempt was made to reach cross-party agreement on this. An agreement was brokered to cap donations to political parties and also their spending.
But the leadership of the Conservative Party, which was newly awash with cash, saw a threat and pulled out at the last minute. Labour refused to do anything to curb the ability of unions to pour millions in.
My Lib Dem colleague David Howarth tried to use the bill to revive the agreement. He tabled an amendment making it illegal to give more than £50,000 to a party.
That is still a vast amount of money — but it is what had been agreed. Disgracefully, Labour and Tory MPs united to keep the current system, allowing a few multi-millionaires effectively to buy parties.
The second disgrace was an amendment sneaked through in the same bill to prevent MPs' addresses being published. They had previously thrown out an attempt by the government to stop details of expenses being published.
I voted against. But this time, the sneaky tactics and self-interest of Tory and Labour backbenchers forced it through.
I have no problem with people knowing my address and can see no good reason for a special secrecy clause for MPs.
Why does this matter so much, especially in a recession?
Because I believe many of the problems in our economy flow directly from our broken political system. Winner-takes-all politics has caused a winner-takes-all economy.
When the government listens more to big donors, bankers and union bosses than to ordinary people, is it any wonder huge mistakes are made costing thousands of people their jobs and homes every week?
When the Tory Party is so dependent on the city for its funds, is it a surprise that it has nothing to say to help ordinary families through the crisis?
And when vast sums of money can help parties win marginal seats, instead of a system where every vote counts equally, is it any surprise that big donors have so much influence on the big parties?
I want a political system in which every vote and every voice count equally, and special interests do not decide behind closed doors. Last week's vote was an opportunity to bring that a step closer.
We will all pay the price for the self-interest of Labour and Tory MPs and it will be harder for the economy to recover as a result.
LOCAL TRANSPORT
News from Transport Scotland that the new Forth Road Crossing will be the only road project to get funding from the Scottish Government's so-called strategic plan has rightly caused consternation in the Highlands.
Work starting on the A9 at Carrbridge this week was planned under the previous administrations. It beggars belief that it will be a full 10 years from the last Scottish Parliament election before any of the current administration's policies even start to be delivered.The A96 and A9 upgrades are desperately needed to ease congestion and improve safety as is the Inverness bypass. The government can change its mind if it wants to — we need to make sure that it does.
Posted on: 10/03/2009
