Party Funding System To Be Reviewed
They're all at it! It seems that the £14m received by the Labour Party in secret loans has caught up with them, with the party's National Executive Committee taking back responsibilty for the party's funding, to make it more transparent. Tony Blair met with members of the Labour NEC today, many of whom did not know about the loans, and are understandably annoyed.
The creditors in question - rich businessmen - have (in some cases) been offered Peerages in return. However, none of the other parties can take the moral high ground on this issue, as they all do the same thing! We will have to wait and see the verdict of the inquiry into party funding, led by senior civil servant, Sir Hayden Phillips. What is certain though, is that this scandal further diminishes the importance of the House of Lords, a fact that those who want to see the modernisation of parliament will have logged.
Kelly's Expenses Under Scrutiny
Education Secretary Ruth Kelly faces questions over £72,000 claimed on expenses for her second home. Kelly has claimed the money for mortgage payments over the last four years, when these payments should have only totalled £20,000. Tory M.P., Greg Hands demanded yesterday that there be a full investigation into the "apparent black hole". Ms. Kelly's Department says that she is in keeping with Fees office regulations.
With all this sleaze, no wonder Alan B'Stard has defected to Labour...
