The way we fund our political parties needs to change if we are to avoid more scandals

Party political funding scandals have become a a regular feature of political life, with the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats all having been tainted at various times. Bobby Friedman, the author of ‘Democracy Ltd: How Money and Donations Corrupted British Politics‘, argues that the reliance on wealthy donors and trades unions risks further scandal, disempowers grassroots members and makes the state funding of political parties seem an ever more attractive option.