Is Labour funded through tax breaks?

P

Purple

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The Irish Labour Party gets part of its funding from "Trade union affiliation fees". Trade unions are funded by members’ fees, which are tax exempt (a tax break). This on its own amounts to a substantial amount of money the Irish state doesn't get in taxes but are those funds then given to a political party to fund its activities? I'm not 100% sure (and so am open to correction) but if it is the case do posters think it’s a good idea?
 
It reminds me of the Fianna Fáil church gate collections in West Cork long ago. Even people who hated FF contributed because they'd be talked about in the locality for months if they didn't! Political funding achieved by coercion! Sorry for rambling off topic, Purple.

I think €300 per year is tax allowable for union contributions. Any idea how much the Labour Party get annually, from this source? Possibly not as much as you think but I don't know myself.
 
I think they got about €60'000 in 2007. I can't remember which paper I read it in.
In the context of how Fianna Fáil have funded themselves over the years Labour are angels but that's for another thread.
 
Don't worry about Labours funding. I'm sure that the ex Workers Party contingent have a few tricks up their sleeves. The printing press was never discovered when they left Gardiner St
 
No, it's not a good idea. And neither is exemption from gift tax for political donations generally.
 
Labour lack the bottle to make hard decisions with regards the public sector. They need to cut the Apron strings.
 
I don't think taking a swipe at Labour because of something that Democratic Left were accused of knowing about adds anything to the discussion (an accusation that turned out to be false if the case taken against Eamon Dunphy and the Indo is anything to go by).
I was of the opinion that because of the strong historical and financial links between Labour and the trade union movement they would be unable to make hard decisions about the public sector but other posters have suggested that people working in the public sector are not of that opinion. That's not really the main issue either though; I was asking if people thought it was right that a political party (any political party) should be indirectly part funded by tax exempt donations.
 
Purple said:
I was asking if people thought it was right that a political party (any political party) should be indirectly part funded by tax exempt donations.
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Maybe they all should be funded solely by the taxpayer? That would sort out a lot of cynicism.
 
Purple said:
That's not really the main issue either though; I was asking if people thought it was right that a political party (any political party) should be indirectly part funded by tax exempt donations.
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I don't think you can control who or what a specific organised body's money is spent on. I know this ignites a previous debate elsewhere, but professional bodies subscriptions are exempt, and if those professional bodies chose to donate to a political party that too is funding by tax breaks.

Labour would be the most obvious case of this, but I'd hesitate to say that most parties get some funding from various professional bodies wishing to have a voice for their agenda.

I do believe the links with the Unions does present a problem for Labour. Especially as the PS vote appears to have shifted from FF to Labour (only an assumption on behalf of commentators based on polling, no proof) but it is kind of supported by the recent defence of the higher earning PS staff not getting a pay cut by Labour.
 
Using the OP's logic, isnt FF also funded by taxpayers i.e. donations from developers who got tax concessions?
 
csirl said:
Using the OP's logic, isnt FF also funded by taxpayers i.e. donations from developers who got tax concessions?
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Yes, I suppose so but Labour tend to take the moral high ground on these issues.
 
When there was a labour finance minister - was there not controvesy about them organising a posh fund raising dinner around it?

Did they use official headed paper or something?
 
cork said:
When there was a labour finance minister - was there not controvesy about them organising a posh fund raising dinner around it?

Did they use official headed paper or something?
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You're thinking about a fund-raising lunch organised by Eithne Fitzgerald - 1995 iirc. Congrats on digging up a weak fifteen year old story to distract attention from the last fifteen years of FF corruption. The words 'clutching' and 'straws' spring to mind.
 
I don't see why the minor transgressions of one party should be ignored because of major ones by another. I also don't see where cork was trying to distract from anything.
 
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