Should we really be doing this?

maddyfour

I’ll be very happy if you can tell me who else is footing the bill Casdon.
If it was announced it was Lord Alli then I’m afraid I missed that.
Who do you think are footing the bill then?

It has been on BBC news radio and in the papers. 100 Labour members have been in USA canvassing for Kamala Harris. Trump has already said he won’t forget what Labour has done.

Trueloveways

This has been happening for years for both the Democrats - Labour volunteers and the Republicans- Conservative volunteers, all self funded.

But do you think it is right, just because it has been happening for years?
Individuals, yes.
Political representatives, however they claim to be funded?

This has been happening for years for both the Democrats - Labour volunteers and the Republicans- Conservative volunteers, all self funded.

So did he declare his Trumpery to the voters in the general election?

Just got it from here, its in other sources gong back a month or so

news.sky.com/story/robert-jenrick-profile-who-is-the-tory-leadership-candidate-that-went-from-centrist-remainer-to-trump-backing-voice-of-the-right-13238622

But voters aren’t involved. Or did he declare that in his election leaflet?

Well it's sort of happening in a mini way in the current elections for the new Leader of the Conservative Party. Robert Jenrick has made a point of saying he's backing Trump.

I’m not bothered about them going as private individuals, whatever party they belong to. Merely about them representing a political party whether or not voters are happy with that.
If it was on a canvassing leaflet, e.g. , Vote for X! He/she promises to go to the USA ^ to support Trump’s campaign or Harris’s campaign I wonder what the impact on voters would be.

There are 2 points at discussion here, one is attending official Party Conventions as a guest,

And the other, individuals going over unpaid to help out at an election.

Farage and Truss (and others to a lesser extent) both get private funding to go over and support the Republicans both at conventions and at other events. But they wiggle round the funding issue like Farage here
www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/oct/17/farage-given-free-team-of-us-pr-advisers-by-former-bannon-aides-firm

Nigel Farage, now an MP, has been supporting Trump openly for years. How is this any different? I understand they are private individuals, who are members of the Labiur Party.

Our local Lib Dem has gone to America to help with Kamala's campaign. Apparently it's his holiday and he does it every time to help Democrats.
It's not just Labour staff going.

I agree.
Let's learn from each other.

Media machinations aside, I think as long as its visiting speakers and information/idea swapping I feel it's a good idea not to cut off international relationships in our ever more global world.

That’s OK. IMO now would be a good time to look at whether it’s a good idea for political representatives to do that.
usual practice doesn’t mean it’s right, but if it is right because the media don’t object to it . . .

Well, that's a big one Mollygo.

It's always been the practice, for example with European countries as well, to attend formal Conventions with like minded parties.

Vance took part in our Conservative Party convention this year as a virtual speaker in a session, as we know the Labour Party were visitors at the Democratic convention: at the time I cant recall the media objecting to this "usual practice"

But should it be normal practice for political party representatives?

I take your point about "tit for tat" Mollygo

but I was using it to show that its been normal practice to visit conventions for years.

Visits to Conventions as a political party come out of party funds.

It’s equally normal for Conservatives/Reform to go to the Republican Convention but of course this isnt mentioned!
Well IMO it shouldn’t be right for anyone to go as a political representative, especially funded by party funds, some of which come from the taxpayers.
Saying he did it first or she could have done it too seems to be the current excuse for anything, rather than admitting it was or might be wrong.

Easily mistaken with current reporting.

Well I assumed this Wyllow3 as it's entirely normal for a representative to go to the conventions - but I read nexus63's post as though she had "inside" info

I did google this and its in the DM et al

but

it was a paid trip in the summer to the Democrat National Convention unrelated to the present visits and perfectly normal in terms of democrat-labour relations

DM
"Labour has admitted it paid for Sir Keir Starmer's top adviser to attend a top Democrat event in the summer, amid claims of presidential election interference by Donald Trump.

The party confirmed that it covered the costs for Morgan McSweeney to travel to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August, where Kamala Harris was confirmed as the party's candidate"

Its equally normal for Conservatives/Reform to go to the Republican Convention but of course this isnt mentioned!

labour has paid for one of starmer top aides
Have they?
Who?

Or are you talking about the convention?

labour has paid for one of starmer top aides, all others going have paid there own way but volunteers in the us are giving free accomodation, the only reason i knew was because one of my nephews sons has gone and the family all got together to pay for airfare and some spending money.

The UK has far more experience of the electoral process than the USA. It should be the other way round, if anything.

Although this is being framed as some sort of 'meddling' with foreign elections, in my experience it is more about adding something to the CV. A lot of people interested in politics will go to other countries to get experience of their campaigns and political machinery. Of course most people want to help out the campaign that is nearer to their own politics.
I have certainly known volunteers to come over here, and hosted by sympathisers, and have known people go to lots of other countries.