The Cost of Democracy: Party Funding in Modern British Politics

Description

Party funding has given rise to great controversy since 1997, and continues to do so. In recent years, row has followed row - from million-pound donations, to the so-called 'loans for peerages' affair. The question was the subject of an official investigation by Sir Hayden Phillips, whose blueprint for reform was produced in March 2007. This book charts the evolution of the party funding problem in recent years and explores the weaknesses of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, which was enacted in a vain attempt to clean up British politics. The book sets out a number of core principles which should inform the development of public policy in this field, and examines the different strategies for the implementation of these principles. Having regard to the experience of othercountries, including Canada, Germany and Sweden, a radical framework ofreform is proposed, designed to address the emerging crisis of party government with serious implications for democracy itself. The main concern is with the development of bold reform initiatives to encourage political parties to recruit and retain members, and give members rights in relation to the government and administration of these parties. This thoughtful yet hard-hitting account by one of the leading scholars in the field will be of interest to constitutional lawyers and political scientists, as well as journalists and those with an interest in the way we are governed.

Keith Ewing is Professor of Law at King's College London.

...an authoritative account of party funding. It deserves to become the standard work on the subject. -- Vernon Bogdanor * The Times Higher Education Supplement * This thoughtful yet hard-hitting account provides a route map through the complex maze and is an unsurpassable text book on one of the building blocks of British democracy. For anybody interested in the way we are governed and the fair and transparent funding of politics it is well worth paying the price. -- Chris McLaughlin * Tribune * ...Sir Hayden does not have the monopoly on good ideas for party reform. There are other academics in the country who have come up with alternative, but similar proposals. May I ask my right hon. Friend to look at the work of Professor Keith Ewing... -- Mr. Tom Watson (West Bromwich, East) (Lab) * Reference from the House of Commons * Ewing does a thorough job in identifying the problems in the system. -- Emile Meyer * Unlock Democracy * In this timely new book, Keith Ewing addresses the root causes of the current cash-for-honours affair... -- Richard Muir * Progress Magazine * ...The Cost of Democracy is an exemplary lesson in how to address the vexed issue of party funding in particular context...The general discussion of regulatory objectives and methods in chapters two and three can hardly be bettered. And the exploration of how these objectives and methods apply in the United Kingdom is both illuminating and thought provoking. -- Andrew Geddis * Public Law Review * K. D. Ewing provides an excellent survey of the problems facing British parties in the light of the 'cash for peerages' funding scandal...this book will prove valuable to anyone interested in current debates on party funding. It deserves to shape the future development of Britain's party finance regime. -- Thomas Quinn * Political Studies Review, Vol 6, No. 2 * The book is a model of clarity, superbly structured and extremely well written: it will provide students and others with an excellent introduction to the subject and political participants with a clinical appreciation of the current situation...a very substantial contribution to debates about what will be done next, through his clear analysis of the contemporary scene. The book is required reading for all concerned with the nature of British politics. -- Ron Johnston * Representation * Ewing's book is an excellent contribution to the debate on the funding of political parties. It examines the ways that legal regulations can be used to advance democratic ideals, but in a way that appreciates the practical implications for UK politics. As a result, its arguments and proposals are realistic. The text also provides a valuable and accessible account of the history of and trend toward the legal regulation of political parties, as well an analysis of the data on party funding held by the Electoral Commission. As with any text on this topic, there is much to take issue with. The Cost of Democracy provides a persuasive and original take on the funding of political parties, and will be an important reference point in future debates on this issue. -- Jacob Rowbottom * Public Law *