News releases

Five political parties registered in Great Britain reported receiving £2.16 million in donations and one party entered into new borrowing totalling £40,000 in the third week of the UK Parliamentary general election period, according to figures published by the independent party funding regulator, the Electoral Commission.

Political parties that receive donations or enter into new borrowing of over £7,500 to the central party during the election period must report these to the Electoral Commission on a weekly basis. The election period runs from Tuesday 6 April to Thursday 6 May. Political parties must also report changes to the terms of any borrowing.

There is no requirement for parties to report donations to and borrowing by accounting units on a weekly basis during the election period. However, parties must include amounts over £1,500 donated to or borrowed by accounting units during this period, in their usual quarterly donations and borrowing reports.

There are separate rules for individual candidates, who must report donations that they receive to the Returning Officer for the constituency they are contesting, after the election. They are not required to report donations to the Electoral Commission.

In their weekly reports, political parties must report donations that they are given during the relevant period. This does not necessarily mean that the parties have formally accepted the donations. Under the Political Parties, Elections & Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA), parties have 30 days after receiving a donation check that it is from a permissible source and decide whether to accept it.

Donations

In addition to the above donations, three political parties reported receiving ‘Short Money’ in this reporting period and one party reported receiving a Policy Development Grant.

The House of Commons authorities pay Short Money to political parties in opposition in the House of Commons, on a formula set out in legislation. The House of Commons provides Short Money to assist parties in carrying on Parliamentary business.

The Electoral Commission pay Policy Development Grants to political parties on a formula set out in legislation. Policy Development Grants are provided to assist parties in developing policy for inclusion in their manifestos.

Political parties may not use either Short Money or Policy Development Grants to meet the costs of election campaigning.

The three parties to receive Short Money in this period are the Conservative Party (£397,426), the Liberal Democrats (£145,623) and the Scottish National Party (£12,098). The one party to receive a Policy Development Grant in this period was the Liberal Democrats (£44,622).

One party – Trust – reported the extension of an existing credit facility from £80,000 to £120,000. Further details of donations and borrowing, for this week and previous weeks, can be found here.

The remaining reporting periods, submission deadlines and publication dates for weekly donations and borrowing reports are set out in the table below:

The Commission expected 178 parties to submit weekly reports. For the third week of the election campaign, we have currently received donation reports from 110 parties and borrowing reports from 109 parties. We are contacting the parties that did not supply a weekly report to establish the reasons for this. They may face penalties for failing to comply with the reporting requirements.

One party - the Christian Party “Proclaiming Christ’s Lordship” - submitted their donations report for the second week of the campaign after the deadline. The Commission will issue the party with a £500 penalty fine for late reporting.

In addition to weekly donation and borrowing reports during the UK general election period, political parties are also required to report donations and borrowing on a quarterly basis. We published donations and borrowing for first quarter of 2010 (January to March) on Tuesday 4 May (please see the press release for Quarter 1 here).

 We will publish donations and borrowing for the second quarter of 2010 (April to June) in August.

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Notes to editors

1. The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. Our aim is integrity and public confidence in the UK’s democratic process. We regulate party and election finance and set standards for well-run elections.
2. The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA),  requires registered political parties on the GB register that have not submitted a Declaration of Exemption to submit weekly donation and borrowing reports to the Commission during a general election campaign. These reports must include all donations over £7,500 to central parties.
3. Political parties who do not intend to contest the general election are required to submit a Declaration of Exemption and are thereby exempt from the requirement to submit weekly donation and borrowing reports.
4. Prior to 1 January 2010, parties had to report any donation or loans above £5,000 made to the central party.
5. Since 1 January 2010, parties must report any donation or borrowing above £7,500 made to the central party.
6. Prior to 1 January 2010 parties could accept donations or enter into borrowing of over £200 only if they are deemed ‘permissible’ under the terms of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA) 2000 at the time the donation was made or borrowing entered into.
7. Since 1 January 2010 parties can accept donations or enter into borrowing of over £500 only if they are deemed ‘permissible’ under the terms of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA) 2000 at the time the donation was made or borrowing entered into.
8. From 1 November 2007, parties on the Northern Ireland register of political parties were required to conform to donation controls and from July 2008 with controls on loans.  As required by the legislation, permissible donations and borrowing reported to us will not be published.
9. Failure to by political parties to submit weekly donations and borrowing reports may result in the issuance of a penalty notice.
10. An ‘accounting unit’ is a constituency party or unit of the party that is responsible for its own financial affairs separately from those of a political party's central organisation.
11. For further information on public funding for political parties, including Policy Development Grants and Short Money, please click here.
12. Under PPERA, donations can be accepted from the following UK-registered organisations and individuals:

• an individual registered in an electoral register
• a registered party in Great Britain
• a company
• a trade union
• a building society
• a limited liability partnership
• a friendly, industrial or provident society
• an unincorporated association