Conclusions and recommendations
1. The
Government and political parties should consider the CSPL report
seriously as a basis for future negotiations. (Paragraph 14)
2. No
party should be perceived as having gained disproportionately
from reform in this area. A solution perceived as partisan would
undermine any positive impact on public opinion which would otherwise
be achieved by resolving the issue. (Paragraph 15)
3. A
cross-party solution will not be easy to achieve. But public confidence
in politics risks being further undermined if some future scandal
intervenes before a solution is in place. The Government and political
parties must seize the opportunity presented by the CSPL to find
such a solution. The Government has a particular duty to pursue
an agreement, and should set out how it intends to take this commitment
forward before the summer. (Paragraph 16)
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