Sir Christopher: We need political courage for funding reform
Sir Christopher Kelly, chairman of the committee on standards in public life, comments on its report into British political party funding:
"The issue of party funding cannot be shelved until the next scandal brings it to the fore.
"That commitment was repeated in the coalition agreement last year. Left to their own devices, the parties have so far been unable to find a way of doing it.
"If the public want to take the big money out of politics, as our research demonstrates they do, they also have to face up to the reality that some additional state funding will be necessary.
"We understand that implementation of our proposals will require considerable political courage.
"The challenge is for the leaders of the political parties to work together to clean up party funding."
