What Gordon Should Say

"I came into politics to help people, to make our country a better place for everyone.

"I passionately believe that party politics and our competitive political culture are valuable and necessary ingredients to a healthy democracy.

"Throughout my career, I have always tried to uphold the highest standards of personal integrity in all my dealings. As Chancellor I ensured that lobbyists, pressure groups and potential donors understood that access never buys influence.

"But I now believe that we have reached a fork in the road. We can either carry on as we are, with periodic scandals and crises about one or other parties fundraising, which simply drags all politicians into disrepute; or we can move decisively in another direction, where we clean up our system of politics, once and for all.

"All parties face similar challenges in raising the finance necessary to conduct their affairs properly and professionally. A great deal of time is now expended on fundraising, more so than at any time in the past. On that point, I’m sure all leaders will agree.

"And all parties, mine included, have made mistakes with their fundraising which have damaged the reputation of British politics.

"Grateful though I undoubtedly am for donations to the Labour Party, I feel the time is right for us to look again at how we finance our politics. To look again at how much our parties spend and where they raise their money from.

"This inevitably leads to the question of public funding for political parties. This is not a universally popular remedy; but I think the long-term interest of our political system demands action is taken to restore transparency and trust in our political system.

"And I believe that restoring the trust of the electorate in the integrity of our political system and the reputation of those engaged in it, is something worth paying for.

"In the New Year I will bring forward a White Paper presenting options about how some element of public support for the financing of our political parties could work in practice. "