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From what I know of the Tories (since I've attended quite a few B&Ws) and even Labour (whose conventions are such a mind-numbing affair in comparison), they nev

From what I know of the Tories (since I've attended quite a few B&Ws) and even Labour (whose conventions are such a mind-numbing affair in comparison), they never touch donors. I found it quite funny that I could buy access to UK ministers for a pittance, while if I had to do the same in India, I would have had to consistently fork over a lot more and sell my kidney along with it. It's funny how you could get access to the PM for just 50k GBP a year, even less if it's a Labour PM, or how you can get access to Rishi for 25k GBP a year. It's also the reason why a lot of donors are Russian or Arab.

barry-cotter 6y ago
> It's funny how you could get access to the PM for just 50k GBP a year, even less if it's a Labour PM, or how you can get access to Rishi for 25k GBP a year. It's also the reason why a lot of donors are Russian or Arab. If you could actually buy anything but an ear for your complaints access would be a great deal more expensive. That’s not to say this petty corruption of the democratic process is right but it’s like how a Russian would burst out laughing at the idea of a politician with bricks of cash in the freezer. In Russia the Chief of Police lives in a palace he obviously can’t afford on his salary and it’s very public, not something he tries to hide. In the US or UK if you have a freezer full of cash the police are going to get you eventually. Take no small or secret bribes.
- fakedang 6y ago
  I wasn't talking of bribes, but Leader's Group and Treasury Group. Donations to parties are more than enough to move mountains.
  - barry-cotter 6y ago
    Does move mountains mean something illegal or does it mean you can get a minister to get a civil servant to look at something? Because £50K a year will pay for a journalist/PR person who can also eventually get a civil servant to look at a thing. Access isn’t corruption, even if it is unfair.
    - fakedang 6y ago
      If you mean form a cohort with other like-minded donors to influence policy, yes. Does it mean tiny favors here and there from time to time? Yes. Does it mean you can expedite yourself into a citizenship? No.

barry-cotter 6y ago

> It's funny how you could get access to the PM for just 50k GBP a year, even less if it's a Labour PM, or how you can get access to Rishi for 25k GBP a year. It's also the reason why a lot of donors are Russian or Arab. If you could actually buy anything but an ear for your complaints access would be a great deal more expensive. That’s not to say this petty corruption of the democratic process is right but it’s like how a Russian would burst out laughing at the idea of a politician with bricks of cash in the freezer. In Russia the Chief of Police lives in a palace he obviously can’t afford on his salary and it’s very public, not something he tries to hide. In the US or UK if you have a freezer full of cash the police are going to get you eventually. Take no small or secret bribes.

fakedang 6y ago
I wasn't talking of bribes, but Leader's Group and Treasury Group. Donations to parties are more than enough to move mountains.
- barry-cotter 6y ago
  Does move mountains mean something illegal or does it mean you can get a minister to get a civil servant to look at something? Because £50K a year will pay for a journalist/PR person who can also eventually get a civil servant to look at a thing. Access isn’t corruption, even if it is unfair.
  - fakedang 6y ago
    If you mean form a cohort with other like-minded donors to influence policy, yes. Does it mean tiny favors here and there from time to time? Yes. Does it mean you can expedite yourself into a citizenship? No.