It is quite some time since I read such a myopic view of politics as that offered by David Burling in last week’s Journal.
To paint one party as black and the other whiter than white is stretching things further than most people would want to go.
His argument about party funding is very relevant coming the same week as the Labour Party managed to accept a gift of £1.5 million with the donor, Mr John Mills, having to pay no tax on this gift. It was not illegal, but was it morally correct to deprive the taxpayer of, by my reckoning, £675,000? Obviously David Burling thinks that is very acceptable. How many taxpayers would agree? This is also the party that has a (then) senior cabinet minister who claimed over £100,000 to live in her sister’s spare bedroom and managed to escape prosecution due to her seniority.
His views on the unions is most interesting. I doubt that David Burling is old enough to remember the days and nights that the unions spent at 10 Downing Street, discussing Government policy over beer and sandwiches, because Harold Wilson dare not carry out any changes without the agreement of union leaders. As for the donations made by the unions to the Labour party, many, many years ago I belonged to a union and asked for my party donation to be stopped. The union representative said he would see to it but I never received any proof that my wishes were carried out and I doubt they ever were. I left the union shortly after that. It was my only resort.
The undercover sting operation was a brilliant piece of journalism by the BBC and Daily Telegraph but once the Leverson report becomes law this type of operation will be no more so, if the Labour party are so concerned, why did they vote for it in Parliament for, without their support, the bill would not have become law.
Step back and look at the whole picutre Mr Burling and regard all politicians as crooked and lacking in morals until you have proved otherwise.
Barry Ladds
Mill Row, Barrowby