Would you pay for PM access?

[paddyhasneeds]

Would it be better if all the donors simply got a number of votes per £ donated and then voted on who they wanted as party leader, similar to the way the unions pretty much voted for Wallace being the Labour Party leader?

[DonnyMac]

Blue Cat said:

DonnyMac said:

Blue Cat said:

you would get a chance to influence policy

As I mentioned earlier, I haven't followed the story today as I was hooning (not honing, unless it was my average driving skills) but a chance, is a chance, one which we're all entitled too - we all have a chance to influence policy, I've done it by talking with my local MP and have met with Boris a couple of times at events because I've become a voice; I'm on the local business steering whatsit because I take an interest, buy a couple of bottles of overpriced champagne at raffles and now have a voice.

It doesn't take £250k to do this, but if you're a fund-raiser you'l take the £250k and give them the same opportunity as everyone else has, but chooses not to take.

IMO.

I have also met my local MP many times and even got the private mobile number of a Minister and very involved in local business but I know I don't have a voice which will have a much influence as a cheque for £250K will. Paying large sums of money gives opportunies which I'm never going to get, discussing issues with your local MP is never going to equal a private dinner with the PM.

Or Boris either now I come to think of it - although I do have a HoC Bottle of Champagne signed by Boris and CMD, but I was waiting for Boris to make a play for PM before putting it up on eBay. The rascals didn't even agree to pick up my bins once a week

[Blue Cat]

DonnyMac said:

Blue Cat said:

DonnyMac said:

Blue Cat said:

you would get a chance to influence policy

As I mentioned earlier, I haven't followed the story today as I was hooning (not honing, unless it was my average driving skills) but a chance, is a chance, one which we're all entitled too - we all have a chance to influence policy, I've done it by talking with my local MP and have met with Boris a couple of times at events because I've become a voice; I'm on the local business steering whatsit because I take an interest, buy a couple of bottles of overpriced champagne at raffles and now have a voice.

It doesn't take £250k to do this, but if you're a fund-raiser you'l take the £250k and give them the same opportunity as everyone else has, but chooses not to take.

IMO.

I have also met my local MP many times and even got the private mobile number of a Minister and very involved in local business but I know I don't have a voice which will have a much influence as a cheque for £250K will. Paying large sums of money gives opportunies which I'm never going to get, discussing issues with your local MP is never going to equal a private dinner with the PM.

Or Boris either now I come to think of it - although I do have a HoC Bottle of Champagne signed by Boris and CMD, but I was waiting for Boris to make a play for PM before putting it up on eBay. The rascals didn't even agree to pick up my bins once a week

Actually with Boris, you might get away with not paying large sums of money for access, you just need to be leggy, blonde, good chest assets and, oh of course, female

Would suggest saving that Champagne as I think he will make a bid for PM

[DonkeyApple]

Blue Cat said:

Actually with Boris, you might get away with not paying large sums of money for access, you just need to be leggy, blonde, good chest assets and, oh of course, female

Would suggest saving that Champagne as I think he will make a bid for PM

Or have the right product. A mate of mine sells electric mopeds and was surprised when he asked for a meeting with the Mayor's office that Boris replied and said he would be there. Got half an hour of his time and a photoshoot.

[Oakey]

Isn't this exactly how the US system works?

If I recall correctly, the movie industry threatened to pull financial support for Obama over SOPA.

And people think we'd be better off as a Republic!

[vonuber]

Oakey said:

Isn't this exactly how the US system works?

Pretty much.

[Devil2575]

DonnyMac said:

Devil2575 said:

The government obviously realise this is wrong because Cruddas resigned imediately.

Not obviously at all IMO, what is obvious is that the government realise that the sheeples won't get it, so he had to resign immediately.

The government recognised that this was publicly unacceptable.
Err what don't we understand? That it's OK for rich people to buy political influence?

Why do you think it's OK for someone with £250k to be able to buy access that those without such funds could never get?

DonnyMac said:

Devil2575 said:

No, the Labour alternative is not much better either.

My bold; so you think £20m theft from the public purse is better, if only a little?

I don't know the circumstances under which Labour has funded the trade unions, but yes I do.
However this is not the subject of the OP is it.

[frosted]

This is your average PHer when this story is mentioned

[Oakey]

Devil2575 said:

I don't know the circumstances under which Labour has funded the trade unions, but yes I do.
However this is not the subject of the OP is it.

The way I understand it is a huge chunk of taxpayers money is paid to the unions, that money is then paid back to the Labour Party via way of donations from the unions.

In which case the unions are buying politicians, but with your money.

[Halb]

DonkeyApple said:

This is exactly why we should ban career politicians.

I always advocate this, but people just don't care.


♫♫♫Rule Switzerland, Switzerland rules the waves,♫♫♫
♫♫♫Switzerland never ever shall be buggeredrelentlesslyandconstantlybyit'sleader♫♫♫♫

Edited by Halb on Sunday 25th March 22:42

[colonel c]

Oakey said:

The way I understand it is a huge chunk of taxpayers money is paid to the unions, that money is then paid back to the Labour Party via way of donations from the unions.

In which case the unions are buying politicians, but with your money.

Perhaps a link to this story would be useful. Otherwise it all sounds like a 'yar boo' response from a Tory lackey.

[Oakey]

colonel c said:

Perhaps a link to this story would be useful. Otherwise it all sounds like a 'yar boo' response from a Tory lackey.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/7473683/Union-behind-BA-strike-receives-18m-from-taxpayers-in-money-laundering-deal-with-Labour.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/7377307/B...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8815280/T...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/7981717/T...

Edited by Oakey on Sunday 25th March 23:15

[colonel c]

Oakey said:

The way I understand it is a huge chunk of taxpayers money is paid to the unions, that money is then paid back to the Labour Party via way of donations from the unions.

In which case the unions are buying politicians, but with your money.

colonel c said:

Perhaps a link to this story would be useful. Otherwise it all sounds like a 'yar boo' response from a Tory lackey.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/7473683/Union-behind-BA-strike-receives-18m-from-taxpayers-in-money-laundering-deal-with-Labour.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/7377307/B...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8815280/T...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/7981717/T...

Edited by Oakey on Sunday 25th March 23:15

Union officials being paid out of public money is maybe worthy of debate. Unions donating to the Labour party is no secret though. However those are not exactly instances of ‘taxpayers money is paid to the unions, that money is then paid back to the Labour Party via way of donations’.

[AJS-]

I'd probably go up to about £20 to give him a smack across the chops. Other than that, no.

[ralphrj]

colonel c said:

Union officials being paid out of public money is maybe worthy of debate. Unions donating to the Labour party is no secret though. However those are not exactly instances of ‘taxpayers money is paid to the unions, that money is then paid back to the Labour Party via way of donations’.

http://taxpayersalliance.com/unionfunding2011.pdf

The allegation that ‘taxpayers money is paid to the unions, that money is then paid back to the Labour Party via way of donations’ is in relation to the Union Learning Fund which is part of the direct payments in the above report.

The Union Learning Fund was created by the previous Government to give taxpayers money to pay for training courses run by Unions. The fund was originally audited by the National Audit Office but their first reports said that the scheme offered little or no benefit to the taxpayer. The previous Government then axed the NAO audits of the scheme.

By the last election the amount given to the Unions via the ULF almost exactly matched the amount given to the Labour Party by the Unions. The Labour Party has been struggling with massive debts for years and without those donations they would not have been able to contest the General Election in 2010.

[thinfourth2]

frosted said:

This is your average PHer when this story is mentioned

But look at the lovely ties

[speedy_thrills]

frosted said:

This is your average PHer when this story is mentioned

I think people understand politics is complex.

There was an MP here who resigned his portfolios because he'd written two letters advocating for a local constituent to his own department which represented a conflict of interest. Just a simple mistake cost him his job because in politics you image needs to be spotless. Teflon Tony was a perfect example, managed to brush off almost anything and it's a lesson Scamron needs to learn as well.

[speedy_thrills]

Blue Cat said:

I have also met my local MP many times and even got the private mobile number...

Careful, I can just see a journo penning an article about how an MP met many times with a mysterious woman from the internet after giving her his private number.

My local MP is a client of ours but I don’t ask him questions about his work so we rarely discuss politics. Just as well as I didn’t vote for him .

[thinfourth2]

There is another way to look at this

Maybe instead of this whole voting rubbish which normally ends up with a socialist in number 10 (yes I'm looking at you CMD) then we allow MPs to be bought by the highest bidder.

I certainly feel happier if the UK was run by Tescos the the current lot.

At least tescos understand how to save money

[DonkeyApple]

thinfourth2 said:

There is another way to look at this

Maybe instead of this whole voting rubbish which normally ends up with a socialist in number 10 (yes I'm looking at you CMD) then we allow MPs to be bought by the highest bidder.

I certainly feel happier if the UK was run by Tescos the the current lot.

At least tescos understand how to save money

Trying to work out how the BOGOF system could fit into the NHS

It still staggers me though that someone thought Cruddas was appropriate. It shows a total lack of comprehension of the real world or total dishonesty.