Political Parties and Elections Bill

Of course somebody who goes abroad temporarily to work should retain the right to vote if they wish to retain it. They will also have the right to donate up to £7,500 to an election campaign. I do not think that that is any great infringement of their democratic rights. They know that by going abroad, they put themselves in a position where they cannot maintain the right to influence elections in this country indefinitely. They know it is time-limited, and the amount of money that they may donate to political parties in this country can also be limited. Finally—this perhaps is a consensual point to end on—I strongly believe that we should introduce gift aid for small donations to political parties, so that the money that might come out of the political system through the amendment can be put back in through a fair system of tax exemption on donations. I tried, with my hon. Friend the Member for Pendle, to table an amendment to the Finance Bill that was originally tabled in the House of Lords with support from Conservative and Liberal Democrat peers. It was the subject of consensual all-party agreement, and it would help to put back into the political system the money that is being taken out. It is far better to rely on a large number of small donations than to rely, as we do at present and which we are trying to change, on a small number of large donations.