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The United and Cecil Club, a members’ association, has agreed to forfeit an £850 impermissible donation, the Electoral Commission, the independent elections and party finance watchdog, confirmed today.

Members’ associations must not accept a donation from an impermissible donor (see Notes to Editors). Associations have 30 days to check that a donor is permissible and either accept the donation, or return to the donor if it is from an impermissible source.

The United and Cecil Club accepted the £850 donation from Mr Anthony Howard on 23 April 2011. Mr Howard was not on a UK electoral register at the time of the donation and therefore was not a permissible donor.

The Club has agreed to voluntarily forfeit the donation, and therefore legal action by the Commission is not necessary.

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Notes to Editors

1. 
   The Political Parties Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA) 2000 established the Electoral Commission as an independent body to regulate political party financing and provided the legal framework under which the Commission operates.
2. A “members’ association” is any organisation whose membership ‘consists wholly or mainly of members of a political party. PPERA (Schedule 7), includes members’ associations as a category of regulated organisations and individuals known as 'regulated donees'.
3. Under Section 54(1) (as applied by Schedule 7) of PPERA, members’ associations must not accept a donation from an impermissible donor.
4. Section 54(2) of PPERA, (as applied by Schedule 7), defines permissible donors as:
   an individual registered on a UK electoral register
   a UK registered company
   a UK registered trade union
   a UK registered building society
   a UK registered limited liability partnership
   a UK registered friendly/building society
   a UK based unincorporated associationResponsibility for checking that a donation comes from a permissible source lies with the recipient of the donation, not the donor.
5. Under section 58 of PPERA, the Electoral Commission has the power to apply to the courts for an order to forfeit a sum equal to any impermissible donation a party has accepted and not returned within the statutory 30 days.
6. Any amount forfeited is paid into the Consolidated Fund. It is not retained by the Electoral Commission nor returned to the donor