Brian Lapping at the Guardian has another, albeit unlikely, solution to the two problems underlying the UK’s cash-for-peerages scandal: the wealthy’s demand for honors and the parties’ demand for money. Publicly auction the honors, he writes.
The principle is simple. Sell the damned baubles for what they will fetch and use the loot to enable our excellent political leaders to be puffed during elections in the manner they deem - and marketing advisers confirm - is now necessary.
What’s the alternative? Sir Hayden Phillips, asked to solve the how-do-we-finance-political-parties conundrum, proposes Pay Per Vote. Put your “X” on the ballot-paper in a parliamentary election and the party you choose gets 60p - or less for local, European, Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish elections. Sir Hayden estimates that this will cost us taxpayers £22 million a year.
Selling peerages will raise more than that. And it’s a much better method than forcing taxpayers to foot the bill.