Tim Aker (Yorkshire Post, 17th February 2009) is wrong to say ‘political parties smell a profit from expenses’.
Councillors’ “allowances” are remuneration for being a Councillor. They are paid from public funds but once paid they are not public funds, any more than the salary or pension paid to a local government employee or an MP. They are analogous to an MP’s salary, not to office costs allowances paid for specified purposes. A member can do what he or she likes to do with his or her allowances, and therefore there is no reason why he or she cannot agree in advance how (s)he will use them.
All candidates for public office have to pay for their election and campaigning expenses either from their own resources or through Party funds. This is a fact of life and cannot be avoided.
Of even greater importance – Lib Dems believe that the public should receive regular newsletters from their councillors and the only way that this can happen is for councillors to use part of their allowance to pay for this – hence the need for a regular contribution from individual councillors.
The current legislation requires the Party’s consent to use the Party’s name. A candidate recognises their use of the Party name is a form of qualification or endorsement that helps to get them elected. The Party, through its endorsement, puts a Councillor in a position where he or she can earn allowances and it is not unethical to seek some recompense for that endorsement.
All campaigns require a very large amount of volunteer help and support, as well as cash. When the community of volunteers and councillors sees one of their number benefiting, but not contributing, the effect is at best unfortunate, at worst corrosive. In Harrogate & Knaresborough, our constituency executive committee, comprising democratically elected branch members, resolved this year to create a level playing field amongst our potential candidates, and all but one agreed to pay a specified contribution.
Finally local volunteer activists, including existing and potential councillors are committed, not to profit for goodness sake, but to improving their local community. Without them and their campaigns, Mr Aker, democracy would be dead.