House of Lords appoints Committee on trade unions and party funding
The House of Lords yesterday appointed a new Select Committee to consider the impact of the Trade Union Bill in relation to the Committee on Standards in Public Life's report, Political Party Finance: ending the big donor culture.
The Committee has today published a Call for Evidence asking for the submission of written evidence by Friday 12 February.
Clause 10 of the Trade Union Bill would mean trade unions could only collect contributions to their political funds from members who had actively opted in by written notice. Clause 11 would require trade unions to provide more information about their political expenditure, if it exceeds £2,000 a year, in their annual return to the Certification Officer.
The Committee, chaired by Lord Burns, are inviting evidence on the following two key questions:
1. Will the Trade Union Bill have an impact on the finances of political parties?
2. If so, how would that relate to the recommendations of the CSPL report and/or party funding reform?
