Over the last few years there has been an increasingly common pattern in the party of asking or expecting councillors to contribute sums to their local party or council group to help pay for the campaigning that got them elected and for other support. The standard request is for the equivalent of 10% of what they receive in allowances (often with adjustments for less well off councillors).
As Michael Crick reports, Liberal Democrat ministers are taking a similar approach:
Nick Clegg and his 19 fellow Liberal Democrat ministers are giving around 10% of their ministerial salaries to the party.
“We are asked [to do it] rather than have to,” one minister tells me. “Much like councillors in local authorities who are usually asked to pay something to the party if they get an extra allowance.”
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Sorry to be picky but when you write “19… Liberal Democrat Ministers” are you counting PPSs too? I count 11 Ministers from
http://www.libdemvoice.org/updated-list-of-liberal-democrat-ministers-19531.html
I was just doing some Tuition Fee voting arithmetic
There are thirteen on that list, and it is just the Ministers, and doesn’t include the Cabinet Ministers.
There are 14 on the list but 3 are Peers. I take the point about Cabinet Ministers. So 11 Ministers, plus 5 in the Cabinet = 16.
Ian: the three Ministers in the Lords also get paid, so we’re back up to 19
Sorry Mark. I’ve got House of Commons tuition fee vote tunnel vision!
You are right – there are 19 salaried Lib Dem Ministers