Party Political Funding: Paying the Politicians at Poll Time

The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA) 2000 aimed to take the heat out of election campaign spending and party funding. Among other things, the Act limits the amount of money that political parties can spend on running their election campaigns. The General Election of 2001 was the first to be affected by the spending limits. With another full national election likely to take place in 2005 and the vote for a US President due in November, it's time to look into the role that money plays in politics and the impact of legal regulation on the funding of political parties. This Argument investigates how we in the UK fund the politicians who represent us. How much do they spend on their election campaigns and how do we make sure that their activities are free from 'sleaze'? Can business influence government and opposition parties by 'buying' their support? In the end does it matter?