HE WHO PAYS THE PIPER

Shortly before the last general election David Cameron gave a speech at East London University about political funding. "The Cameron pitch on political reform included a call to limit donations to political parties to a maximum of £50,000, from an individual, a business or a trade union. That way, the impression that money could buy influence would wane in the new world of transparency. Almost exactly a year on, such talk sat uneasily with news that since he became Conservative leader in 2005 funding for the Tories from the City's richest had risen fourfold to £11.4m a year. Just 10 City individuals, it transpired, had given £13.2m over the past five years - 13% of total funding. Rather than practising what he had been preaching Cameron had let an elite group of the very richest tip their millions into party accounts to help it win power." (Observer, 13 February) Despite the pre-election promises it is still business as usual at Tory HQ. RD