Matthew Oliver

Matthew Oliver (London, Unlock Democracy): The Conservative front-bench have been quick to claim credit for yesterday’s Government U-Turn on parliamentary expenses. Whilst it is true that their move meant that any vote would have been eye wateringly tight for even the most optimistic Government Whip, the real success is due to the online and media campaign run by amongst others, Unlock Democracy and mySociety.

What is also true however is that a significant minority of Conservative backbenchers are seething tonight. Cocooned inside the Westminster Bubble and their 1997-proof safe seats, these MPs are finding themselves slightly at odds with today’s changing society, which no longer views the Commons as a political private members club

Matthew Oliver

Matthew Oliver (London, Unlock Democracy): The results of Unlock Democracy’s recent survey should act as a wake-up call to those members of the Labour movement who believe that the issue of party funding can be kicked into the long grass. 

The survey, commissioned by The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, finds that the Labour party risks a future Conservative government, possibly supported by Liberal Democrats and other parties, destroying the existing Labour-Union link if it fails to introduce meaningful reforms to the party funding system in this session of Parliament.  

Sir Hayden Phillips wrote in 2007 that party finance reform was “within our reach but not in our immediate grasp". If Labour does not take action soon on these issues, these results show that they well find that the Conservative Party has snatched the opportunity from them and done with it what they will.