More problems for the Lib Dems

As if taking most of the flack over the emergency budget and being accused of treachery wasn’t bad enough the Lib Dems have also lost funding for staff and research in Parliament and at Party HQ since joining the Coalition at Westminster, the so called Short money.

According to the Times ‘Nick Clegg has learnt the true cost of power after his party lost almost £2million a year as a result of entering a coalition with the Conservatives.

The Liberal Democrats no longer qualify for state funding for opposition parties to support their work in Parliament, known as Short money. Last year the party received more than £1.7million. It was paid a further £237,000 for work in the House of Lords.

The party’s highly regarded team of parliamentary researchers face redundancy in consequence.

The Lib Dems, who have far fewer private donors or other benefactors than the Tories and Labour, relied heavily on such funding for their staff.

Some have transferred to jobs funded by Whitehall as special advisers or in other roles but will be more closely bound to the coalition government rather than working for an independent party. But there is particular concern over the party’s parliamentary work monitoring departments in which there are no Lib Dem ministers — the environment, food and rural affairs; culture, media and sport; international development; and Wales and Northern Ireland.

One MP asked: “If a minister in one of these departments brings something to the Commons, what are we supposed to do? Just support it?”

The Conservatives have lost larger sums, but the proportional impact will be much less due to the party’s wealth.

Mr Clegg’s advisers are seeking to negotiate the rules so that the party would continue to receive some money, to reflect its position as the junior coalition partner. The party hopes that an arrangement in Scotland which lets the smaller of two coalition parties receive payments could be applied at Westminster.'

Estimates in different papers vary, but it seems the Lib Dems could lose up to 20 staff, that will certainly have an impact on what the party can do to keep its independence while in Coalition with the Conservatives.

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