News releases

Thirteen political parties registered in Great Britain reported just over £10.7 million in donations accepted between April and June of 2008, according to new figures from the Electoral Commission.

In addition, five parties received payments from public funds totalling just under £2.3 million during the same period.

As at 30 June 2008, total borrowing stood at just over £33.1 million.

The Commission’s registers of donations and borrowing for the second quarter of 2008 show that:

Donations

• 13 political parties reported donations totalling £10,735,105 (excluding public funds) accepted between 1 April and 30 June.
• Three parties reported donations this quarter that should have been reported in previous quarters. The total amount of donations reported late was £62,442.
• Five parties received £2,282,344 in public funds.
• 31 registered parties failed to provide their required donation return on time.

Loans

• Four parties entered into new borrowing totalling £142,021.
• The total amount of repaid borrowing reported was £60,052
• Total borrowing now stands at £33,180,543.
• 46 registered parties failed to provide their required borrowing return on time.

The latest figures can be viewed on the Commission’s website: www.electoralcommission.org.uk

Peter Wardle, Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission, said: “Having previously called on parties to address the issue of late reporting of individual donations, we are pleased to see this being addressed and expect to see continued improvements.

“We are pleased that the Political Parties & Election Bill includes the more flexible and proportionate range of penalties that the Commission has been calling for. We look forward to seeing these debated and agreed in Parliament so that the Commission can strengthen its role as a robust regulator.

“Parties who failed to provide a donation or a borrowing return on time will automatically incur a penalty.”

DONATIONS

Donations to political parties accepted in quarter two 2008 (April to June)

Party	Donations excluding public funds (£)	Public funds (£)	Donations total (£)
Communist Party of Britain	60,000	0	60,000
Conservative and Unionist Party	5,612,241	1,371,463	6,983,704
Co-operative Party	137,264	0	137,264
Green Party	9,296	0	9,296
Labour Party	3,820,790	132,156	3,952,945
Left List	2,000	0	2,000
Liberal Democrats	945,192	637,625	1,582,817
Mums’ Army	8,973	0	8,973
mums4justice	8,973	0	8,973
New Party	35,000	0	35,000
Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales	0	60,027	60,027
Scottish National Party	13,627	81,073	94,700
UK Independence Party	72,778	0	72,778
women4theworld	8,973	0	8,973
Total	10,735,105	2,282,344	13,017,449

Note: For the first time, this total does not include donations which parties identified as impermissible and returned to the donor. These can be viewed on the registers on our website.

 

Public funds

The Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru received a total of £1,643,998 in Short money, which is paid directly by the UK Parliament to opposition parties in the House of Commons.

The Conservative Party, Labour Party and Liberal Democrats received £106,355 in assistance paid directly to opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.

The Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats also received a total of £142,776 in Cranborne money which is for opposition parties in the House of Lords. 

The Conservative Party, Labour Party, Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru received a total of £389,214 in Policy Development Grants which are allocated according to a formula approved by the UK Parliament and paid by the Electoral Commission.

 

BORROWING

New borrowing in quarter two 2008 (April to June)

Party	Total amount of new borrowing (£)
Conservative and Unionist Party	10,737
Labour Party	66,500
Liberal Democrats	14,784
Scottish Voice	50,000
Total new borrowing	142,021

Note: Further details including the date the loan was entered into, date repayable, interest rate (whether fixed, variable or nil), whether security was given and details of the lender are available on the Electoral Commission website www.electoralcommission.org.uk

 

Borrowing repaid in quarter two 2008 (April to June)

Party	Total amount repaid (£)
Labour Party	30,763
Liberal Democrats	8,339
United Kingdom Independence Party	20,950
Total borrowing repaid	60,052

 

 

Total borrowing (including loans, credit facilities and connected transactions) by party as at 30 June 2008

Party	Loans (£)	Credit facilities (£)	Connected transactions (£)	Total (£)
Better Bedford Independent Party	34,300	0	0	34,300
Conservative and Unionist Party	6,926,665	5,126,500	10,000	12,063,165
English Democrats	101,447	0	0	101,447
Labour Party	13,674,493	4,209,000	0	17,883,493
Liberal Democrats	511,954	606,000	25,000	1,142,954
People's Party for a Better Government	7,800	0	0	7,800
Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales	117,663	250,000	0	367,663
Progressive Party	100,000	5,000	105,000	210,000
Respect – The Unity Coalition	34,878	0	0	34,878
Scottish National Party	426,343	432,000	190,000	1,048,343
Scottish Socialist Party	63,000	10,000	0	73,000
Scottish Voice	200,000	0	0	200,000
Solidarity Scotland's Socialist Movement	13,500	0	0	13,500
Total borrowing as at 30 June 2008	22,212,043	10,638,500	330,000	33,180,543

Note: In previous quarters we have reported a total in the press release and the additional columns above have been available on our website.

 

LATE REPORTING OF DONATIONS

Donations reported this quarter that should have been reported in previous quarters totalled £68,942.

Donations accepted in previous quarters and reported late this quarter

Party	Donations total (£)	Number of donations
Conservative and Unionist Party	35,922	9
Labour Party	16,800	2
Liberal Democrats	9,720	7
Total donations reported late	62,442	18

/ends

For further information contact

The Electoral Commission press office on 0207 271 0704

Out of office hours 07789 920414 

Email press@electoralcommission.org.uk

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 figures reported for donations and borrowing have been rounded to the nearest £. Exact figures are available on our website.
3. Charts and tables providing comparisons to previous quarters can be accessed at: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/party-finance/party-finance-analysis
4. To search the register of donations to political parties, visit the Commission’s website www.electoralcommission.org.uk and go to the registers page using the 'party finance' link at the top of the home page.

5. Details of all loans can be found here: http://registers.electoralcommission.org.uk/templates/search/document.cfm/22729

6. Table of donations reported in quarter two 2008 which should have been reported previously can be accessed here: http://registers.electoralcommission.org.uk/templates/search/document.cfm/22730

7. Since Q3 2007 the Commission has separated out public funds from the total donations reported so please take care when comparing overall figures to previous quarters where public funds & received donations were combined.
8. The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) requires GB and NI registered parties to report cash and non-cash donations and GB registered parties to report loans on a quarterly basis to the Electoral Commission. Parties must report any donation above £5,000 made to the central party, or donations exceeding £1,000 made to a local accounting unit
9. The penalties for failure to submit statutory returns on time can be found at section 147 of PPERA, here: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/Acts/acts2000/ukpga_20000041_en_15#pt10-pb5-l1g147
10. Parties may accept donations 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. 'Permissible' donors include individuals who are listed on a UK electoral register, or companies which are registered under the Companies Act 1985 and incorporated within the UK or another EU member state, and carrying on business in the UK
11. Some donations appear on the register as being from the House of Lords or House of Commons. These are Short and Cranborne grants which are available to parties in opposition in the House of Commons and House of Lords respectively.
12. Some donations appear on the register as being from the Electoral Commission. These are Policy Development Grants which were established by PPERA 2000 for parties represented in the Commons by two or more sitting members. The grants are intended to assist parties in developing the policies that they will present in an election manifesto. The legislation provides the total sum of £2 million annually for this purpose. Policy Development Grants became reportable as donations for the first time in quarter three of 2006 as a result of the Electoral Administration Act 2006.
13. Quarter one 2008 figures on donations and borrowing were published by the Electoral Commission on 22 May 2008. The press release can be accessed at: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/news-and-media/news-releases/electoral-commission-media-centre/news-releases-donations/new-figures-published-showing-political-partiesrsquo-donations-and-borrowing.
14. From 1 November 2007 parties on the Northern Ireland register of political parties were required to conform to donation controls.  Quarter four returns 2007 were the first to be reported to the Electoral Commission in Northern Ireland. As required by the legislation, permissible donations and borrowing reported to us will not be published. These are transitional arrangements that will apply until October 2010.