Move to prevent Irish funding of Northern parties defeated
British MPs were debating a Lords change to the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill today which sought to remove “permissible donor” provisions from the legislation.
The move by the peers would prevent political donations being made to parties in the North from donors in the Republic.
The British government was defeated by peers over the issue but MPs today overturned the Lords’ proposal without a vote.
Northern minister David Hanson told the House: “The government firmly believes that Northern Ireland parties and regulated donees should be able to continue to accept donations from Irish citizens and other Irish bodies who can currently donate to Irish parties as well as of course accepting donations from those who can donate from the UK.”
This policy was consistent with the Good Friday Agreement, he argued, and reflected the British government’s belief that Irish citizens should be allowed to make these donations to take account of the Republic’s special role in relation to the North’s political culture.
Mr Hanson argued that the original provisions were a significant step forward from the current position where donations could come from “anyone and anywhere” and there was no obligation to disclose them.
But the DUP’s Nigel Dodds accused the minister of attempting to gloss over a measure that was “clearly discriminatory” against unionist parties.
“How can you stand there and justify a special provision which allows Irish citizens and Irish organisations to donate to parties in Northern Ireland when you know full well that the donations will be completely one-sided and will have no benefit to unionist parties or the unionist population whatsoever?” he said.
Mr Hanson retorted that he could not estimate “who or what or when or where” citizens of the Republic would wish to donate.
But he acknowledged: “I expect that there will be significant donations to potentially the SDLP, to Sinn Féin and other parties.”
Alasdair McDonnell (Belfast S), SDLP deputy leader, said peers' amendments would narrow the list of political donors, restrict funding and “strangle” parties.
“It is not just parties like the SDLP,” he said. “Unionist parties do derive a small but nevertheless a significant amount of money from across the border with the Irish Republic.
“A law that outlaws the raising of funds for Northern Ireland parties on the island of Ireland as a whole is a bad law, an ineffective law and an unworkable law.
“It runs against the grain of relationships within these islands between Britain and the Irish Republic that have improved so much over the last 25 to 30 years.”
Democratic Unionist Sammy Wilson branded it a “self-serving speech” and said that if the original provisions were reinstated it would be impossible for Sinn Féin to launder money from south of the border into their “coffers” in the north.
Dr McDonnell replied: “Sinn Féin will manage to launder money whatever we do in this House.
“Indeed, they are aided and abetted by the shenanigans of the DUP at every turn because the reality is that we have got to bring back devolution to Northern Ireland and there is a competition on at the moment between the DUP and Sinn Féin to see who can be disruptive and who can be the greatest wreckers.”
In a stinging attack, Democratic Unionist deputy leader Peter Robinson accused the minister of having a “credulous gape on his face” during Dr McDonnell's speech.
This indicated he was either “hiding the real intent of his measure” or was completely out of touch with politics in the North.
“The reality is that you are doing this for one party. You are doing it for the Labour Party’s sister party, the SDLP,” Mr Robinson alleged.
“Sinn Féin don’t need it. Sinn Féin can just use the Northern Bank proceeds. They can use all of their gangsterism. They can use all of the other funds that they raise through illicit means.”
Mr Robinson said the measure was intended to discriminate against the Unionist in favour of the SDLP.
He added: “Why was there a prohibition placed on parties elsewhere in the UK? It was because those who are resident and citizens of countries outside the UK should not be allowed to influence the politics of the United Kingdom.
“Yet the Government is precisely doing that in the case of Northern Ireland where it is allowing people of another jurisdiction to have a direct influence on the politics of Northern Ireland.”
A vote to reinstate the measure was won by 260 votes to 16, a government majority of 244.
The Bill later passed through the House of Lords and gained royal assent.
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