This page provides information about public funds paid to political parties by the Commission and other bodies.
To view all public funds paid to political parties, please visit our PEF Online donations search.
Policy Development Grants (PDGs)
The Electoral Commission administers the policy development grant scheme under section 12 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA).
The scheme allows the Commission to make payments of policy development grants to eligible political parties. The Commission can allocate up to £2 million each year to assist in developing policies for inclusion in manifestos for elections to the following:
- European Parliament
- UK Parliament
- Scottish Parliament
- National Assembly for Wales
- Northern Ireland Assembly
- local government
The allocation of £2 million is divided between the eligible parties according to a formula set out in legislation.
Eligible parties are, on the 7 March each year, those that have at least sitting two Members of the House of Commons who have taken the oath of allegiance provided by the Parliamentary Oaths Act 1866.
The parties currently eligible for a grant are:
- the Conservative Party
- the Democratic Unionist Party
- the Labour Party
- the Liberal Democrats
- Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales
- the Scottish National Party
- the Social Democratic and Labour Party
Here you can find information on the amount of grant allocated to each party since 2002, and the amounts claimed against those allocations.
Other public funds
There are also public funds paid by other bodies.
These are:
- Short Money, paid by the House of Commons
- Cranborne Money, paid by the House of Lords
- Assistance to registered political parties, paid by the Scottish parliament
For more information on other public funds, please visit the relevant websites.
For enqueries, please contact us by telephone (020 7271 0616) or email (pef@electoralcommission.org.uk).
