Press release

Ahern and Cruddas revelations prove that donor anonymity must end

27 March 2012

In the light of the Tory cash for access scandal[1], and the damning results of the Mahon Tribunal[2], Friends of the Earth is calling for Secretary of State Owen Patterson to end donor anonymity for Northern Ireland parties.[3]

 A register of people who give large sums of money[4] to Northern Ireland parties has been kept since 2007, but is currently kept in secret by the Electoral Commission[5]. The Northern Ireland Secretary has the power to end this secrecy in early 2013, but is known to be minded[6] to keep the ban on revealing the register in place for up to another two years.

 Friends of the Earth's Northern Ireland Director, James Orr, said:
"The revelations over the last few days, in both England and the Republic, reinforce our view that, as soon as possible, we need to see the list of people who have been giving game-changing amounts of cash to our politicians.

 "Voters in the rest of the UK and Ireland are able to see the connection between a party's policies, and the people and organisations that fund them. We cannot, because of questionable security concerns[7], and the result is that we are kept in the dark as to who is paying the pipers."

 Mr Orr continued:

 "Right now I can see the names of everyone who has nominated a candidate in Northern Ireland elections since 2007, but I cannot see who is buying access to and influence over the people who rule us. Those who nominate candidates are revealing their political allegiances in their own communities, yet they are deemed at low risk of intimidation, whilst a faceless elite of wealthy donors somehow deserve extra protection. This is a double-standard that must end by spring of next year."

 Mr Orr concluded:

 "A political class that is not held up to the light of public scrutiny is at serious risk of acting against the public interest, and of making decisions that benefit the wealthy few, and not hard-working majority. The health of our economy, society and environment depend on having politicians whose true priorities are revealed to everyone."

Note

[1] Conservative Party co-Treasurer, Peter Cruddas, has resigned after being exposed as offering access to the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer in return for donations to the party.

[2] The Mahon Tribunal's findings on Bertie Ahern's dishonesty in accounting for financial transactions have led to him resigning as a member of Fianna Fail on Sunday 25 March 2012.

[3] Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK or Ireland where citizens cannot find out who is contributing large sums of money to political parties. Temporary legislation, passed in 2007 and renewed in 2011, prevents the Northern Ireland Electoral Commission from revealing who is giving big money to politicians. This legislation is up for expiry or renewal in March 2013, and the Northern Ireland Office has revealed to Friends of the Earth that Owen Patterson is minded to renew it.

[4] £7500 to a national party, £1500 to a local/constituency party

[5] Employees of the Electoral Commission who reveal information on the Northern Ireland donor register could face fines and imprisonment

[6] Friends of the Earth has emails from NIO officials relating to this topic

[7] Owen Patterson's decision in 2010 to renew the temporary ban on revealing the register was due to his concern that major donors would be intimidated or attacked

Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland
7 Donegall Street Place
BELFAST
BT1 2FN
Tel: 028 9023 3488
Fax: 028 9024 7556
Email: [email protected]

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust