Transparency of Lobbying, Non-Party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Bill

Thérèse Coffey Excerpts

Tuesday 3rd September 2013 Commons Chamber

[Ms Eagle]

I certainly agree wholeheartedly that the Bill is being rushed in a very unseemly manner through the House.

[Dr Thérèse Coffey (Suffolk Coastal) (Con)]

Surely, the point of the Bill is to say that we have together in Parliament tried to reduce the cost of politics. This is about recognising and putting on the record third parties that want to spend money on promoting parties or candidates. It is right that that should be controlled in exactly the same way as it is for political parties.

[Ms Eagle]

The hon. Lady is right that we should control the cost of politics, but third parties spent only 10% of what political parties spent at the last election, so I wonder why there have been attempts in the Bill—