Why not sell all Labour Party offices, Lord Levy?

Posted on Wednesday 31 January, 2007
Filed Under New Labour

 

‘Wd you like a K or Big P?’. That is the phrase – referring to an a la carte choice of knighthood or peerage – contained in the notebook of biotech boss Sir Christopher Evans, recording a conversation he claims to have had with Labour fundraiser Lord Levy. And would you like fries with that?

Now Levy has again been arrested, this time on suspicion of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. It’s not often this blog quotes Lib-Dem soundbites approvingly. But Ed Davey is right. From fortuitous office fires to burgled laptops, this business increasingly does have the whiff of Watergate about it.

As an avid student of political funding for some years now, I have come to the conclusion that the public is not best served by the current system flogging seats in Britain’s legislature off the back of a lorry.

Simony cannot be allowed to remain Britain’s last nationalised industry. New Labour should act in a fashion consistent with the political principles that have won it the last three elections, and privatise all public offices currently held by Labour Party members. Just think of the many advantages.

The use of market mechanisms would surely lever up the price of a ‘K’ or a ‘Big P’ from the present nugatory levels. Andriy Shevchenko cost Chelsea £30m, remember. It considerably devalues the prestige of a rent-a-peerage to know that they can be had for as little as a £1m loan.

That kind of money is probably a suitable flat-rate tariff to enjoy, say, a seat on Hackney council Labour group for a set four-year term. For many private sector concerns, such investment would be eminently commercially justifiable to shareholders.

Local government outsourcing providers, for instance, might consider buying a majority of the places on selected New Labour local authorities, simply to be able to award themselves all available contracts.

Existing Labour members of the House of Commons should be granted the right either to retain or to sell their seat at each general election, thereby allowing the market to establish the correct price level.

This would have the additional advantage of ensuring that each seat would go only to the consumer able to derive the maximum marginal utility from buying the constituency.

That buyers might have ideologies incompatible with the traditional beliefs of the Labour movement need not be a disqualification. After all, a number of former Tory MPs have already made the switch.

And when you throw in savings from not having to hold elections – including such overheads as Tower Hamlets Labour Party’s hefty outlay on buying postal votes – then the taxpayer is quids in, too. What’s not to like?

An outrageous idea? A little far-fetched? Maybe. But not too different in principle from the way places in the House of Lords have been dished out for the last decade. At least this way it would all be above board.

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