CLEAN POLITICS. (Hansard, 27 February 1929)

§ Mr. THURTLE
I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to compel all national political parties to publish annually a complete list of their subscribers. On reflection, I am inclined to think that the Title of the Bill is a little ambitious, and it may be not quite accurate. The task of cleansing the political system cannot very well be accomplished by one small Bill, and all that I would like to urge in support of my proposals is that they will constitute quite an important step in the desired direction. I am asking that each political party should, under the compulsion of the law, be obliged to submit an annual certified return of the subscribers to its funds. In that way we hope to discover who it is that finances political parties, and we think that when we discover that we shall discover many other things, too. There is a well-known maxim, compact of cynicism and sound sense, which says that the people who pay the piper call the tune. I think that is as true of politics as of anything else, and we are concerned to find out who are these mysterious paymasters, who are calling the tunes of the Liberal and Conservative parties. [An HON. MEMBER: "And the Socialist party!"] In a recent speech the Chancellor of the Exchequer said that the Labour party had a facade of respectability, and that behind this facade there were certain sinister and mysterious international figures who were doing the really dirty work. I am not proposing to judge the merits of that particular flight of fancy of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, but I would say that on this side of the House there is a very strong conviction that the Conservative party and the Liberal party are not all that they seem.

§ Mr. ERNEST BROWN
And the Socialist party, too.

§ Mr. THURTLE
We are inclined to think that behind the facade of nebulous first principles and sonorous platitudes there are certain mysterious individuals 1978 and powerful interests who really control these parties, and dictate what their policy shall be. It is common knowledge that the Conservative party, and the Liberal party too, are very much more dependent on finance than is the Labour party. It is one of our good fortunes that we are able to command a vast amount of voluntary labour. Therefore, these parties, in carrying out their political and electoral work, have to expend a vast sum of money. We know that money has got to come from somewhere, and we want to know where it comes from. We want to be in a position to judge whether this money has any influence in determining what policy shall he followed, or what particular title shall be conferred. Labour is quite willing to assist in this work. Labour is anxious to have all the cards laid upon the table. If hon. Members who want to discover how much "Red" gold comes from Moscow, will only co-operate with us in this, they will be able to find out. As a matter of fact, the Labour party already publishes an annual statement of its receipts and expenditure, and we are only asking the other parties to do likewise. We are virtuous ourselves, and we have got a laudable ambition to try to make the other parties equally virtuous. We would like to be able to do it if we could by moral suasion—

§ Mr. E. BROWN
Assisted by the bookmakers.

§ Mr. THURTLE
—but that does not seem to be effective, and so we have to resort to the compulsion of the law. I will tell hon. Members below the Gangway, so as to ease their anxiety, that it is not proposed to make this Measure retrospective in its operation, nor is it, proposed to bring within its scope what, I believe, is politically known as the personal fund. In drafting the Bill it has been found to be impossible to make such a lucid distinction as that between the personal fund and the political fund, but if the Liberal party wishes to amend the Bill in that direction, it will have an opportunity of doing so. Nor does the 1979 Bill insist upon contributions not exceeding £500 being accounted for separately. The view of the promoters is that there is no party, however straitened its financial circumstances may be, which is prepared to change its policy or to confer a title for such a moderate consideration as £500. I hope this Bill is going to command the general support of the House. It is a step in the direction of clean politics, and the public are entitled to have such a step made. The electors are very often puzzled as to why parties adopt certain policies, or why they confer titles on particular individuals. If there is a cash explanation of some of these puzzles, I think the public should be entitled to get that explanation. I will say, in conclusion, that if there is opposition to this Measure—I hope there will not be—I shall be driven to the very melancholy conclusion that there are some political parties like some men who love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.