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Who pulls the strings?
28 June 2012

Friends of the Earth has launched a new campaign calling for an end to the secrecy around who gives money to political parties in Northern Ireland.

 

Who Pulls the Strings aims to create a more open Government and to ensure that major decisions on development and investment are taken in the public interest.

The launch featured a live puppet show with a masked funder manipulating a politician to approved planning applications and ignore pollution incidents.

There is widespread support for donations to political parties to be made public and Friends of the Earth is calling on the Secretary of State to lift the veil on the secrecy of who funds our political parties by Spring 2013. That is when the temporary law that keeps donors secret is due to run out.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK or Ireland where party funders are anonymous. The health of our economy, environment and society require us to have a truly open democracy.

Our democracy should not have strings attached.

Until the secrecy is removed, Friends of the Earth will continue to ask : Who pulls the strings of our political parties?

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