[Politics] The Top 50 Political Donors

[Deportivo Seagull]

Another piece of gammon showing stupidity, the Labour vote is one man , one vote. Not like the Tories who did their vote in private and put in May as leader without an election

A vote once made is then wielded by the union executive, so isn’t really one man one vote. Can you say with any certainty that every single union member is for Corbyn!? If the situation was reversed there is no way on earth that labour would go the polls, nor should they as it isn’t required. Hypocrisy of the highest order.
Saying that the tories are a complete mess.
I don’t think that either party have been this sh*t in many, many years. Both leaders are IMHO unelectable and sadly prospective replacements are likely to as bad.

 

[Chicken Run]

And even a buffoon like you knows that the union has to ask it's members if they wish to contribute

And a pointless sheep like you happily handed over your subs to your masters and they wilfully waist millions of there flocks hard earned money backing a completely unelectable Prime Minister. You’re either stupid or you were part of the top table lining your own pockets.

Pathetic, oh and again I thought you had me on ignore, more lies from you!

 

[The Birdman]

Oh Dear unions are important but if you destroy the guys and girls who start business who make money you won't have jobs to pay your Union fees.
Look at Russia the wealth is now held by the few I wish momentum would take a look at Russia good socialist society.
I prefer the one nation Tories to Labours the Many not the few.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

What a bloody choice, 1970 with the unions out of control, or 1870 with the posh boys out of control, we deserve better.

Who is 'we'? If you feel no empathy with unions or posh boys, there are other parties, or you can form your own. It is the votes that win the election. We don't buy a car based on which car company is the richest and/or has the slickest advertising - we do own own research. Rich conservatives have every right to bankroll the tories, just as the unions have every right to bankroll labour. The information is available (see OP and equivalent published data about labour). I think the same is true for all parties. If it is an issue for you, you can use it to influence your voter choice.

(I say this as someone who used to go on about the ignimony of the 'tory press'....I think now that we have a tory press because people like it....my choice is to not read it......it is a fact of life that a large % of the electorate is coservative.....it is up to labour to win hearts and minds.....and they are failing to do so......and so it goes)

 

[Thunder Bolt]

A vote once made is then wielded by the union executive, so isn’t really one man one vote. Can you say with any certainty that every single union member is for Corbyn!? If the situation was reversed there is no way on earth that labour would go the polls, nor should they as it isn’t required. Hypocrisy of the highest order.
Saying that the tories are a complete mess.
I don’t think that either party have been this sh*t in many, many years. Both leaders are IMHO unelectable and sadly prospective replacements are likely to as bad.

Exactly how I feel. I was always a union member, but disliked the Labour Party conferences where a union leader would vote for a motion with their 20k numbers, when nobody had actually asked me how I felt about a particular debate.
Unions are good for workers, with protection, legal representation and advice etc, but abused their power in politics.
I opted out of the political levy, so Ernest is right about that.

I don't have a problem with party donors but want more clarity about extras like paying Boris to play tennis with the Russian ambassador's wife.

 

[The Antikythera Mechanism]

I’m surprised that anyone donates to any political parties any more. The Conservatives have lost all credibility, the Labour Party under Corbyn and his henchmen is a joke, the Lib Dem’s are useless, UKIP is a shambles, the SNP is a nasty little self help club and all the rest are pointless. UK politics is at an all time low with no leaders, no personalities, no talent and no hope.

 

[Bold Seagull]

Oh Dear unions are important but if you destroy the guys and girls who start business who make money you won't have jobs to pay your Union fees.
Look at Russia the wealth is now held by the few I wish momentum would take a look at Russia good socialist society.
I prefer the one nation Tories to Labours the Many not the few.

Russia's plutocracy is through open market capitalism, an neither is their previous one party dictatorship representative of what a socialist society looks like. Putin has more in common with Trump than any resemblance to socialist principles. Once you lose democracy to totalitarianism, then whether left or right you are at the whim of the few.

 

[Gritt23]

Wealthy business leaders donate to the Conservative Party and expect that to give them some "influence" whenever the Conservatives are in power.

Unions donate and heavily influence leadership elections in the Labour Party and expect that to give them some "influence" whenever the Labour Party are in power.

How is news exactly? Who didn't know this?

 

[BLOCK F]

I think even more shocking is the membership of the Consrvative Party, in the 1950's it was over 3 million. Down to about 150,000 in 2010.

They do not annouce their membership figures now, if the leader contest had gone down to May v Leadsom in 2016, they would have had to declare the figures believed to be about 60 to 70K, As they would effcetivly have elected the Prime Minister.

It is scary to think we are ruled by a party that is individualy funded by a few extremly wealthy donors and have a decreasing membership that is believed to be an elderly and fast declining.

https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2018/89-the-end-of-the-party

Well, it is even scarier to think that a Marxist duo like Corbyn and McDonnell could be running the country.
Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn's lot are continuously losing touch (or have done so already,) with the ordinary working class of this country and are supported by an unholy rabble of extreme lefties, a union baron and some weirdo middle-class failed academic types.
Seriously, who on here can honestly say that they believe Corbyn is fit to be PM of this country?

 

[Live by the sea]

Plenty of wealthy people like lord sugar used to give donations to Labour before Corbyn become leader. It’s just most sensible successful people don’t want a communist in charge of the Labour Party. Who can blame them .

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

Well, it is even scarier to think that a Marxist duo like Corbyn and McDonnell could be running the country.
Just think about it for a minute. Corbyn's lot are continuously losing touch (or have done so already,) with the ordinary working class of this country and are supported by an unholy rabble of extreme lefties, a union baron and some weirdo middle-class failed academic types.
Seriously, who on here can honestly say that they believe Corbyn is fit to be PM of this country?

Shows how politics is a bit polarised right now. Labour have half a million paying members right now, so a lot of people want Labours policys. May has already lost an election she predicted she would win at a cantor. Cocked up almost everthing she has touched, is propped up by a finacial deal, and is only held up by her party as she will take the bullet for the hard Brexit. Corbyn may well be a better MP or at the worst on a par with what we already have. At least the kids may get a shoot at getting a home, better working contacts and some free/cheaper higher education.

 

[BadFish]

Who is 'we'? If you feel no empathy with unions or posh boys, there are other parties, or you can form your own. It is the votes that win the election. We don't buy a car based on which car company is the richest and/or has the slickest advertising - we do own own research. Rich conservatives have every right to bankroll the tories, just as the unions have every right to bankroll labour. The information is available (see OP and equivalent published data about labour). I think the same is true for all parties. If it is an issue for you, you can use it to influence your voter choice.

(I say this as someone who used to go on about the ignimony of the 'tory press'....I think now that we have a tory press because people like it....my choice is to not read it......it is a fact of life that a large % of the electorate is coservative.....it is up to labour to win hearts and minds.....and they are failing to do so......and so it goes)

From what I have seen no party is interested in winning hearts and minds they are just about telling the electorate that the other lot are worse.

To me Corbyn is different in this regard, at least he is sharing his vision and ideas.

I fully agree with the main thrust of your post though, we get the politicians we deserve.

 

[BLOCK F]

Shows how politics is a bit polarised right now. Labour have half a million paying members right now, so a lot of people want Labours policys. May has already lost an election she predicted she would win at a cantor. Cocked up almost everthing she has touched, is propped up by a finacial deal, and is only held up by her party as she will take the bullet for the hard Brexit. Corbyn may well be a better MP or at the worst on a par with what we already have. At least the kids may get a shoot at getting a home, better working contacts and some free/cheaper higher education.

Well, good luck with that one, Nobby.
Thankfully I don't think Corbyn will get a chance of being PM of this country.
Very poor showing in the local elections suggest that many of us proles do not approve of him or his henchmen/ henchwomen. Labour should have really come through against a party that , if it is really as poor as you suggest, is a lost cause.
Personally, I think we have reached peak Corbyn and I am waiting for the sensible and more moderate Labour MP's to regain their party from the sect .
Finally, half a million paying members. Well, I'm not sure how relevant that is in overall terms of the electorate; not very, I would suggest.Many of those will be hardcore Corbynistas that hold views at odds with the traditional moderate Labour supporters.
You can have all the members in the world, and Corbyn and McDonnell can continue to preach to the converted for as long and loud as they like, but unless they can take the country with them,it all counts for nothing.

 

[BLOCK F]

From what I have seen no party is interested in winning hearts and minds they are just about telling the electorate that the other lot are worse.

To me Corbyn is different in this regard, at least he is sharing his vision and ideas.

I fully agree with the main thrust of your post though, we get the politicians we deserve.

So Corbyn is sharing his vision and ideas, but the party that he leads is not interested in winning hearts and minds?
Hmm, I'll have to think about that one........but not for long!

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

When I looked at that list above my initial thought was, once you get past the top 5 or 6, these aren't very large amounts. Compared to the huge volumes of cash awash in the american system, where influence is very much paid for, thinks don't feel quite as bad over here

 

[BadFish]

So Corbyn is sharing his vision and ideas, but the party that he leads is not interested in winning hearts and minds?
Hmm, I'll have to think about that one........but not for long!

I more meant, that traditionally political parties don't seem that interested in winning the hearts and minds of the electorate and Corbyn is the exception to this.

Apologies, I didn't explain my self very well.

 

[beorhthelm]

I more meant, that traditionally political parties don't seem that interested in winning the hearts and minds of the electorate and Corbyn is the exception to this.

Corbyn isnt interested in winning hearts and minds, he's selling his political ideology and if you dont like that he isn't compromising.

 

[BadFish]

Corbyn isnt interested in winning hearts and minds, he's selling his political ideology and if you dont like that he isn't compromising.

I disagree, I think that he is hoping his political ideology will win the hearts and minds of the electorate. I don't think that one has to compromise ones beliefs to win said hearts and minds.

 

[Machiavelli]

How much has George Soros poured into hard left organisations in the UK?

Oh, that old hard right trope

 

[looney]

Oh, that old hard right trope

Hard right? I saw someone refer to themselves as deep left the other day. Glowing Unicorn Right if you must. anyhow, its a fact hes been funding hard left organisations(Did you see what I did there?) that have used violence on numerous occasions through his Open Society OOrg, you need to "cough" DO YOUR RESEARCH.