Gavin Ayling reminded me this evening that the ‘Right Honourable’ Tony Blair – or ‘Bambi’ as he used to be called – was due to meet today with Conservative Party leader, the ‘Right Honourable’ David Cameron, to discuss party funding transparency in the wake of the ‘loans for peerages’ row. One of the items no doubt on the agenda is the notion that thee and me – otherwise known as ‘tax-payers’ – should in future pick up the bill.

The Tax Payers Alliance has put out a statement on why this is a bad idea:

As we explain in our research note, we believe that there is a huge distinction between taxpayers funding Parliament (MPs’ researchers, their admin staff etc) and funding parties, which are essentially (as they have to be) propaganda machines. Given that most people do not appear to like the way modern politics operates – with its emphasis on negative campaigning and image and so on – they should not be forced to pay for all the focus groups, polling and spin doctors that make this sort of politics work.

Spot on. The vast majority of citizens of the United Kingdom are politically disenfranchised, sceptical of the government machine and tired of their inability to have a say in how things are run and organised. In particular they are weary of the way that political parties are now marketed. This is just another one we have to fight tooth and nail for.

The bottom line? If I want to give my hard-earned cash to a political party then I’ll become a bloody member.