UK political parties’ accounts published for 2020
Summary
Financial accounts of political parties and accounting units have been published today by the Electoral Commission. In total, the accounts of 341 political parties have been published, as well as 378 accounting units with an income or expenditure over £25,000 . The accounts are for the year ending 31 December 2020.
Louise Edwards, Director of Regulation, said:
“All registered political parties must keep financial records and submit annual statements of accounts to us. Publishing this data helps voters see political parties’ income and what they’re spending. This is an important part of delivering transparency in political finance in the UK, and in enhancing public confidence and trust in our democratic processes.”
Party income or expenditure over £250,000
14 parties in the UK reported having an income or expenditure of more than £250,000. In total, these parties reported £86,032,237 of income and £91,638,837 of expenditure. This compares with 15 parties in their accounts for 2019 reporting £184,266,273 of income and £167,607,128 of expenditure.
| Party | Income | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|
| Alliance - Alliance Party of Northern Ireland | £282,958 | £241,578 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | £24,039,000 | £29,170,000 |
| Co-operative Party | £1,181,066 | £1,091,318 |
| Democratic Unionist Party - D.U.P. | £340,656 | £338,541 |
| Green Party | £2,748,506 | £2,929,782 |
| Labour Party | £41,580,000 | £42,589,000 |
| Liberal Democrats | £5,316,746 | £6,493,747 |
| Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales | £905,467 | £1,196,309 |
| Reform UK | £3,138,118 | £1,556,370 |
| Scottish National Party (SNP) | £4,427,421 | £3,337,000 |
| Sinn Féin | £801,145 | £1,338,666 |
| UK Independence Party (UKIP) | £223,961 | £316,737 |
| Ulster Unionist Party | £317,900 | £239,038 |
| Women's Equality Party | £729,293 | £801,752 |
In addition to the parties listed above, the Commission has published the accounts of 327 political parties that reported an income or expenditure of £250,000 or less.
The full financial accounts for each of the 341 political parties are available on the Commission’s website.
Accounting unit income and expenditure
| Party | Accounting unit | Income | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | ALDC | £1,145,432 | £1,079,046 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Bristol and South Gloucestershire | £76,979 | £328,590 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party | Cities of London and Westminster | £211,655 | £331,500 |
| Liberal Democrats | England | £3,143,768 | £3,155,853 |
| Liberal Democrats | London | £321,148 | £373,910 |
| Liberal Democrats | Parliamentary Office of the Liberal Democrats | £1,471,271 | £1,405,062 |
| Liberal Democrats | Poole | £464,976 | £13,329 |
| Liberal Democrats | Scotland | £498,454 | £557,794 |
| Scottish National Party (SNP) | SNP Westminster Parliament Group | £1,710,310 | £1,526,631 |
| Liberal Democrats | Wales | £286,763 | £268,127 |
The financial accounts for each of these accounting units are available on the Commission’s website.
Comparisons with totals in previous years
Below are the total sums of all financial accounts for political parties and their accounting units above the £250,000 threshold in the two previous financial years:
Political parties
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | £99,608,045 | £184,226,273 | £86,032,237 |
| Expenditure | £101,368,851 | £167,607,128 | £91,639,837 |
Accounting units
| 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Income | £7,817,828 | £12,119,615 | £9,330,756 |
| Expenditure | £7,334,168 | £11,633,756 | £9,039,842 |
Late submissions
Seven political parties and five accounting units failed to submit their accounts by the relevant deadline. We are considering these in line with our Enforcement Policy. Where parties have delivered late returns for reasons relating to the pandemic, we will take full account of this in considering what, if any, action is appropriate and proportionate.
Ends
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Notes to editors
Notes to editors
The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to promote public confidence in the democratic process and ensure its integrity by:
- enabling the delivery of free and fair elections and referendums, focusing on the needs of electors and addressing the changing environment to ensure every vote remains secure and accessible
- regulating political finance – taking proactive steps to increase transparency, ensure compliance and pursue breaches
- using our expertise to make and advocate for changes to our democracy, aiming to improve fairness, transparency and efficiency
The Commission was set up in 2000 and reports to the UK, Scottish and Welsh parliaments.
All registered political parties must submit annual statements of accounts. Political parties with income or expenditure of more than £250,000 are required by law to independently audit their accounts and include this report in their submission. The fact that a Statement of Accounts has been placed on the Commission’s website should not be taken to indicate that the Electoral Commission has verified or validated it.
Figures for income and expenditure have been rounded. Please see our online database for exact amounts.
Accounting units with income and expenditure that are either £25,000 or less are not required to submit their accounts.
Details of how failures to submit Statement of Accounts by the deadline have been dealt with in the past can be found in our publication of closed cases.