4:21pm Tuesday 16th March 2010
Your investigation into party funding (The Argus, March 13) shows there is far from a level playing field in Brighton and Hove’s politics.
The Conservatives have a massive advantage, with £125,000 coming from wealthy donors, Ashcroft-backed com-panies, shadowy “dining clubs” and millionaire candidates who stand to benefit from David Cameron’s tax cuts for the wealthy.
Second are the Greens, who funnel almost all of their £92,000 into one seat, massively outspending their opponents and showing their claims to be the underdog in terms of funding to be untrue.
Finally Labour, with less than half as much funding as the Tories, has received £56,000 over five years, made up almost entirely from small individual donations and subcriptions from trades union and party members.
Come the election, remember that the glossy Tory leaflets you receive are paid for by multi-million pound deals, secretive and undemocratic “clubs” and untaxed non-dom donors who will make even more should David Cameron get to Number 10.
Cllr Warren Morgan
Labour and Co-operative, Freshfield Street, Brighton
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