Commenting on a report from Transparency International UK on “how big money undermines trust in politics” Jim Allister said:
“It is telling that a report looking at political funding across the UK focuses so much on Northern Ireland. There is no reason why our Province cannot be brought into line with the arrangements in the rest of the United Kingdom. As the report notes the current setup results in to a situation where “opacity poses a corruption risk and should be removed at the earliest possible opportunity.”
“TUV has long advocated such a change. Openness about funding will increase public confidence in government and is particularly important in a small place like Northern Ireland. The whole Red Sky saga raised serious questions about the relationship between wealthy business and the political class which have never been properly addressed and never can be unless there is a great deal more transparency.”