Three months ago I was recently sent an invitation to join the Labour Party's 1000 club. It wasn't cold calling. A colleague and I had a meeting with a party official and mentioned that neither of us had ever been asked about contributing more to the Party. Somewhere in an Intray the form is still there unanswered.
For anyone wondering about how the Party is ever going to repay its debts, consider the following:
- would you donate money to an organisation that is not accountable to its own members?
- would you donate money to an organisation that does not give members a say?
- what is the Party offering to prospective members of its 1000 club?
What I can't get out of my head is that the idea that the 1000 club as currently organised is a form of seeking cash for access.
This is what Lord Sawyer says it offers:
For the minimum donation of £100 per month (or £1,200 per year) you will receive:
- A complimentary pass to Annual Conference
- Invites to Christmas and summer receptions
- Reduced ticket prices for our gala and other fundraising dinners
- Notification of similar events taking place in your region
If I were to give £100 a month to the Party, I'd give it because I believe in what the Party stands for. In its turn the Party would, I would like to think, value my contribution, but in the same way it would value a member only able to afford the Youth or Reduced rate. Am I being too idealistic? Or is the Party going to have to radically rethink its fundraising strategy to win back the trust of the electorate?
The LabOUR Commission certainly thought an ethical fundraising policy needed to be agreed in time for the 2007 Conference. Why was nothing done? Are there not enough principled donors among Labour Party members and supporters? Or is that nobody in the Party has bothered to find out?