Undoubtedly – but then we've been outsourcing manufacturing on an industrial scale since the first factories opened in Taiwan.

So unskilled workers had to transition from factories and materials to things like service industries – and we're now bringing people in to replace them there. In fact they're the one group, globally, whose real incomes have dropped since the 1970s – as the world's opened up, they've been left stranded in sinkhole estates and ex-mining towns.

I think it's one of those situations where virtually any rule you could implement would disadvantage someone.

I'd contrast it with Trump's election fundraising total of $255m, vs Hillary's $512m. (as of October 2016)

How important is it in winning an election? .. Where Hillary had the support of Hollywood, Wall Street and most of the media, Trump had huge grassroots support, who'd rally and post on message boards.

Corbyn is really the Trump in this election (the chaotic populist – in Zizek's words – who divides his own party and who most don't take seriously as a politician).

The amount of online support Corbyn gets from unpaid devotees would be very difficult to quantify against May's campaigning .. From many online polls, you'd think the Tories weren't going to win a single seat .. The fact is many Conservative voters (myself included) don't broadcast our views outside the voting booths, because they've become so demonised in the public space .. I'd say this is certainly far from fair – but again, maybe impossible to regulate.

Your students may well have a point there Prof Eman.
There is nothing fair reasonable or democratic when unions collect their members dues and then make large donations to the Labour Party when in fact a proportion of their members will be voting for other parties.

Union members have the right to opt of Labour Party donations, I was in Unison for awhile and they were very clear about offering this ability to opt out.

I'm concerned that HMG are planning something so controversial that they didn't think they could get it through with their current majority so called a snap election safe in the knowledge that; with the threat of Abbott (low intelligence arrogant racist) as Home Secretary and Corbyn (IRA/Taliban sympathiser) as PM, the Conservatives would win by a landslide from which they could push anything through Parliament. I shudder at the thought of what it could be.