How should political parties be funded?

Ozymandius2011

This question comes in the context of the controversy over Hugh Morgan's cheque for €5,000 to FF. Several posters called SG a FF "bagmsn". However, if that term is meant (rather than its original meaning of "protection-racketeer" which is absurd in this case except for how the Provos raised money) to refer to normal party corporate-fundraising, which all parties are engaged in, then that raises the obvious question:

How do you think political-parties should be funded? Should we introduce 100% state-funding of political-parties? Political-parties that don't rob banks like SF can't subsist on air. So how would you fund them?

jimmycrackcorm

I think the only real issue is a lack of transparency. Funding should be voluntary but totally open to complete scrutiny.

Victor

State funding (based on number of votes received across all elections?) + membership fees (cap fee at say €100/person/year).

Make any other activity - dinners, golf outings, annual prize draw such that they do not more than break even and any profit gets deducted from the state funding.

Make full accounts transparency mandatory for all politicians, parties, campaign groups (income & expenditure over X/year), "research groups" and lobbyists mandatory.

Potentially have a common fund that people can donate to that gets shared pro-rata the votes that groups get.

Make all independents form formal organisations, even if it is the Joe Bloggs Party, where Jow Bloggs is the only member. If he resigns from politics, the money is set aside and eventually reverts to the state.

Make the use of expenses more transparent and systematic, e.g. have money go on party researchers rather than personal constituency aides.