Guidance for Candidates and Agents at UK Parliamentary general elections in Great Britain

Splitting spending

Sometimes, you may need to split your costs between activities that count as candidate spending and those that don’t.

For example, between:

  • items used both before and during the regulated period
  • your campaign spending and other activities such as an office that you share with your local party 

In all cases you should make an honest assessment, based on the facts, of the proportion of expenditure that can fairly be attributed to your candidate spending.

For example, if you are sharing a party office, the telephone bill may only provide a breakdown of the cost of calls over a certain value.

In these cases, you should consider the best way of making an honest assessment on the information you have. For example, you could compare the bill with one that does not cover a regulated period.  

It is your responsibility to report your candidate spending fully and accurately. You should ensure you understand the rules and that all spending is properly authorised, recorded, and reported.

After the election, you will have to sign a declaration to declare that it is complete and correct to the best of your knowledge and belief.1

It is an offence to knowingly make a false declaration.2

If you are still not sure, call or email us for advice.

Last updated: 4 December 2023