Money buys political access just look at the corruption at the heart of the democratic process in America for some of the worst examples. Are we really surprised at the fuss caused by the Sunday Times sting over the weekend which has dominated domestic headlines in all media for three days? I doubt it.
There are some ways of cleaning up the stables in Westminster:
1. Allocate 50p per tax payer to a new Political Funding body; their duty would be to allocate that money to all political parties based on the number of votes cast at the last general election. There would need to be a minimum number of votes cast to qualify (say) 1 million.
2. The maximum amount any single donor could give to a political party between elections would be £10k. No sidebar organisations like the PACs (which now dominate in USA) whereby £millions is given to an organisation which spends it on behalf of an individual or party would be allowed. Lord Ashcroft, who is still not a UK resident, spent £millions and millions in Labour marginal seats in 2005 and 2010 long before the elections were called and frankly that should have been banned: ditto, trade union funding.
3. All Cabinet and Shadow cabinet minsters to put in the public domain on a weekly basis who they have seen.
Transparency is all.