Failed party funding deal published

Sir Hayden Phillips has published the draft document which was being discussed in the failed talks on party funding reform.

On Tuesday Sir Hayden, chairman of the negotiations, said talks had been suspended.

Speaking after the fifth meeting since the start of the summer, he said: "At the outset of these talks... I believed that a consensus between the parties on future reform was both desirable and possible.

"Yet despite progress on a number of issues, it became clear at the fifth session of talks held today that the parties would not be able to arrive at an agreement on an overall package of reform."

Sir Hayden published the draft agreement put to the parties in late August in the hope of informing "current public debate".

It proposed a £50,000 cap on all individual donations to parties with two or more representatives in Westminster, the devolved administrations or the European Parliament.

In the most controversial area of the suggested reforms, trade union donations from the unions' political funds would be subject to the £50,000 cap.

But affiliation fees would be treated as individual donations from each member, subject to annual renewal with the choice of an opt-out.

The agreement also proposed new spending controls, with a single limit of £150m per party for local and national campaigning for each parliament, including £20m for a general election.

While controls on union donations would hit Labour's coffers, spending limits applied across the length of a parliament would strike at the Conservatives' use of big donations to target marginal seats.

The draft agreement also proposed two changes to public funding of parties, with every £10 donation matched by £10 of public money and 40p a year for every vote cast in the most recent general election.

Sir Hayden said: "I remain convinced that an agreement to reform party funding would be in the general public interest, and I hope that all possible efforts will be made to achieve some consensus on a comprehensive package of reform."

Reports on Wednesday suggested that Labour MPs were pressing Gordon Brown to take unilateral action and force through legislation to stop the Tories outspending them in constituencies.

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