FINANCING POLITICAL PARTIES

In this and the next issue we print some articles on alternative ways of funding political parties. He who pays the piper may not always get quite the tune he expects, but it is certainly in the public interest to consides that public funding of parties is possible, as well as controls of types of contribution and enforced publicity. We begin the symposium by reprinting from The Times of April 11, 1973, a characteristically provocative piece by the late Richard Crossman from his all too short-lived "Personal View Column". We thank The Times for permission to reptint, and pay tribute to the memory of Crossman who was a member of the Board of THE POLITICAL QUARTERLY from 1939 to 1960.