Come Dine With Me

The Conservative Party are in a league of their own regarding party political donations from very rich 'individuals' as seen in this recent BBC chart for 2011 :-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17516853

The dinner ladies must workin' non-stop at Downing Street and Checkers.

The Tory party is funded by Business who don't cough up and not expect something in return.

The Labour party is funded by the Unions who don't cough up and not expect something in return.

The Liberal Democrats are funded by coffee mornings and carrot cake and nobody actually expects this to make a difference :0)

Please tell me what is original in this story.

Can't see what all the fuss is about, much more preferable than the political parties being funded by the taxpayer, you and me...

"they just don't have so many very rich donors."

No, but they have millions more donors overall, with virtually every trade union member in the country paying the political levy, as very few take the trouble to opt out.

Badgery

History tells us that the gulf between the have and have nots has always been such and has neither grown or contracted.

badgery

Fine thoughts but just remember who would bring in such legislation. Turkeys voting for christmas comes to mind.

I am just grateful we have not [yet] followed the US in bringing in paid for TV ads that do nothing but denigrate an opposition candidate.

It has been reported that Obama has a fighting fund of 1 Billion dollars for his re-election and just guess where that money has come from, in the main.

"No amount of labour indignation will stop them doing the same when they get in next, they just don't have so many very rich donors."

They have money from Trades Unions, and one of their biggest contributors is Unite, which is why Ed Miliband has maintained a stony silence in the face of repeated calls for him to condemn the Union's announcement that its tanker driver members have voted for strike action. A strike by these drivers will have a crippling effect on the country's commercial activities, but that doesn't seem to worry Ed over-much, as long as he isn't seen to criticise a major contributor to the party coffers.

badgery

You are mistaken Industrial Action

At my place of work the ballot was held when the negotiations were deadlocked.

The vote gave the union the legal right to call the strike, which they did.

You were mistaken that it gave the union the right to negotiate not to call a strike. No ballot is required to negotiate.

Please accept you were mistaken by saying

"I thought that the 'strike ballot' was only a ballot to fulfil the government's legislation and give the Union it's power to negotiate not a call to actually strike."

Negoiation is not industrial ACTION, Unions neogiate with employers everyday of the week without a ballot.