Political Parties and Elections Bill

The hon. and learned Gentleman is correct—I do seek a limit and a cap on all donations. If he is arguing that I am supporting this proposal because it is the thin end of the wedge, he is also right. I hope that it is. If there are any inconsistencies of the sort that he describes, I hope that they are resolved in a way that broadens the regulation so that it applies to more and more people. There are, however, some problems with the Bill as drafted. I am glad that the Secretary of State said that the proposals would be considered further before they finally pass. The point about the student that the hon. Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) mentioned in his first contribution does not work. The Secretary of State did not reply to it, but my understanding of existing law—he might correct me if I am wrong—is that volunteering in someone's own free time does not count as a donation. That point is also important in answering the issues raised by the hon. and learned Member for Torridge and West Devon. This is not a restriction on political activity across the board; it is merely a restriction on donating money.