Eddie Mair reflects on people giving large amounts of money to political parties
23 February 2022, 16:42 | Updated: 23 February 2022, 16:50
Eddie Mair reflects on people giving large amounts of money to political parties
This is the moment Eddie Mair reflected on the subject of people giving large amounts of money to political parties
It comes after Foreign Office Minister for Europe and North America James Cleverly told LBC on Sunday that all Conservative Party donors are "legitimate".
Eddie said: "It seems to me that in this country there is a tacit acceptance that if you give a lot of money to a political party then getting access to senior politicians comes with it."
He later added: "You can certainly make a case for rich people giving large amounts to political parties.
"If they or if anyone wants to back a cause they believe in, maybe they should be entitled to give.
"And of course some rich people do. They write the cheque and they walk away. I'm less concerned about them than I am about the people that write the cheque and want a meeting or a dinner party.
"Yes, everything is declared, we're told - and that's fine. Frankly, that's as it should be. But is it enough?
"Why do we accept that the way of the world in our democracy is that personal money talks, opens doors, creates influence?"
