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11.28.51am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 21st Mar 2006

Elect the Lords

The 'Elect the Lords' campaign have launched a witty fundraising campaign, with special offers due to end tomorrow (Gordon Brown's budget day!). See http://www.electthelords.org.uk/pages/buypeerage.html

The Liberal Democrats have declared all loans. Labour have now announced the names of the 12 people who gave a total of £14m to the party without the knowledge of their treasurer. The Conservatives, despite attempting to gain the moral high ground in this debate, have not revealed the identity of those giving them loans.

The Lib Dems have been proposing for the last 6 years a cap annual donors, and we are demanding complete transparency on donations and loans.

My only hesitation in being completely enthusiastic about caps, which I totally agree with in principle, is the extent by which donors can simply find other - perhaps less transparent - ways of giving the same total amount.

The strongest message that would bring an end to suggestions of 'cash for peerages' scandals would be to campaign hard for an elected House of Lords.