MISPLACED OPPORTUNISM

O pportunistic” would be a kind way to describe David Cameron's last minute attempt yesterday to add to new restrictions on Westminster, lobbying a proposal to ‘limit or block' Trade Union funding for Labour at elections. The two things have no connection and so “grubby” and “shabby” were more accurate words being used around Westminster to describe the Conservative move while “panic” was also in use to suggest that Cameron will do anything to improve his declining prospects at the 2015 general election. There was confusion yesterday afternoon over whether the Liberal Democrats leadership had joined with Cameron on this issue, but several senior party members were opposing the idea. It's not an immediate matter but there must come a time, when the funding of political parties in Britain is taken more seriously than it is at the moment. Trade Union backing for Labour is relatively open whereas financial support from business, industry and land wealth for the Conservatives can be channelled in so many ways that it is very difficult to keep track of its scale. State funding would be the fairest solution, at least for the election period with particular attention to advertising which is particularly important and should be capped. In the meantime the Prime Minister should be above the kind of game he was playing yesterday; he has problems enough without adding a fight with the Trade Unions.