SIR -- The Labour Party has opened a consultation on the funding of political parties. Many people do not realise that in the past three years, the main parties have already taken around £20m of our hard-earned money. With thousands of health service workers losing their jobs, and pressure on public service funding imminent, I think that it is outrageous that the taxpayer should have to pay more.
The consultation document is a farce, claiming that expanding political institutions 'need relationships with politicians' and calls for an 'investment in democracy'. The reality is that the government has taken powers away from local councils and is proliferating unneeded regional bodies in spite of public opposition. At the same time, more power has been transferred to unaccountable European institutions, making a democratically-elected government increasingly powerless to act independently. The law requires trade unionists to freely decide to pay any political levy.
Why should taxpayers not deserve the same respect and protection? Readers may send their thoughts on funding political parties to NEC, 39 Victoria St, London SW1H 0HA by 31st July.
ADAM HARTMANN,
New Alliance,
London.
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