Brown’s funding solution

Gordon Brown’s decision to create the post of finance director of the Labour party to oversee compliance with the law on donations is a bold one. Once Brown has appointed his own man to this position he will be unable to put any distance between himself and any subsequent fundraising scandal. Brown must, therefore, be confident that he can prevent any repeat of the Abrahams affair.

If the Tories, though, are to get on the front foot in the funding argument they must answer the questions about Lord Aschroft’s status. As long as these questions remain unanswered, they will provide easy fodder for journalists and the Tory’s political opponents.