Peter Hain

[Matt]

Resigns From Cabinet
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7206812.stm

[Mulder]

About time! I am old enough to remember when he was a young radical with ideals. He fought for a better system and sometimes won. It would be great if his current 'self' could somehow meet his young 'self'! I suspect he'd get an egg in his (current) face!

[Cuddles]

Crooked politicians? Dodgy funding? Dog bites man?

[FarSideOfTheMoon]

I've still no idea why he needed £100,000 to run a campaign he was never going to win. He came second last. Postage costs? ::)

I'm more concerned our politicians are able to raise and spend such large amounts of money with no obvious benefit. His supporters and contributors do realise that money was never going to have any effect on getting him the job? So why donate so much then, I wonder. ::)

Just what does money buy you in the Labour governement these days?

[Nudles]

I've still no idea why he needed £100,000 to run a campaign he was never going to win. He came second last. Postage costs? ::)

I'm more concerned our politicians are able to raise and spend such large amounts of money with no obvious benefit. His supporters and contributors do realise that money was never going to have any effect on getting him the job? So why donate so much then, I wonder. ::)

Just what does money buy you in the Labour governement these days?

I imagine most people running for a position of power are pretty confident they are going to win. Very few people are blessed with hindsight before the fact. :tongue:
The people donating the money know they are taking the risk, but probably a risk worth taking. 10k is nothing to "friends", especially when you are a multimillionaire or close.
Hundreds of thousands are easily spent in an election champagne as well. This for example can give an idea of costs:

"[Peter Hain] was relaunched with a glitzy, US-style campaign emphasising his radical past. Full page adverts were taken out in a national newspaper at a reported cost of £25,000 and glossy inserts paid for in left leaning magazine The New Statesman." [Source] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7181613.stm)

Of course in the states (US), people running for President are spending in excess of 70m dollars. Which is the style Peter Hain was going for, I hope we in Britain will never see this as an acceptable way to run any sort of political campaign. It is sickening enough seeing the spill over, leaking from the US during their elections.