NI political parties accept over £1.7m in donations in 2024
Political parties registered in Northern Ireland reported accepting £431,373 in donations and public funds during the fourth quarter of 2024 (October to December), according to figures published today by the Electoral Commission.
Total donations accepted during 2024 in Northern Ireland was £1,731,179. This compares to £1,939,793 in the previous year.
Cahir Hughes, Head of the Electoral Commission in Northern Ireland, said:
“Over £1.7m was accepted by political parties in Northern Ireland during 2024. It was the year that saw a general election, and we know that voters are interested in where parties get their money from. This publication is an important part of delivering this transparency for voters.
“The UK political finance regime has high levels of transparency, and we publish details of these donations so voters can see where the money is coming from.
“However there are parts of the system that need strengthening, and we have been calling for changes to the law, including to limit company donations to the money that they have made in the UK and legally require parties to conduct know-your-donor checks on donations to assess and manage their risks. Together, these reforms could help to improve confidence in the integrity of the system.”
The political parties to report donations in Q4 2024 were:
| Party | Total reported | Donations accepted (excl. public funds) | Public funds accepted | Total accepted in this quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance Party of Northern Ireland - Alliance | £55,511 | £16,863 | £38,648 | £55,511 |
| Democratic Unionist Party - DUP | £107,312 | £0 | £107,312 | £107,312 |
| People Before Profit | £21,620 | £0 | £2,269 | £2,269 |
| Social Democratic & Labour Party - SDLP | £147,522 | £7,500 | £140,022 | £147,522 |
| Sinn Féin | £93,111 | £0 | £93,111 | £93,111 |
| Traditional Unionist Voice - TUV | £4,441 | £0 | £4,441 | £4,441 |
| Ulster Unionist Party - UUP | £21,207 | £0 | £21,207 | £21,207 |
| Total | £450,724 | £24,363 | £407,010 | £431,373 |
Since 1 January 2024, the threshold for reporting donations to the Commission increased. Following a change in law by the UK Government, parties are required to report donations over £11,180 (and over £2,230 for accounting units).
The value of donations reported by a political party to the Commission may be different to the value of donations it actually accepted in that quarter. This can be due to aggregated donations, impermissible donations, and/or late reported donations.
Borrowing
No new borrowing was reported. The Democratic Unionist Party reported the renewal of an existing credit facility.
Further information
We have also published the donations and loans for parties across the United Kingdom today.
Full details of donations and public funds for political parties in Northern Ireland are available on our political finance register, as are details for political parties in Great Britain.
Ends
For more information contact the Electoral Commission press office on 028 90 894 032, out of office hours 07789 920 414 or [email protected]
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 Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) requires registered parties to report cash and non-cash donations and borrowing to the Electoral Commission on a quarterly basis. Political parties must report all donations and borrowing over £11,180 relating to the central party, or over £2,230 relating to an accounting unit. This includes aggregates of donations and loans from the same source during the calendar year. Once the central party has reported a donation or aggregate donation over £11,180 it must report each subsequent donation of more than £2,230 from that source.
- As parties only report donations and loans over these thresholds, the figures do not include all donations and loans to political parties. Donations and loans under these thresholds are recorded in political parties’ annual statements of accounts.
- Public funds are donations from the House of Commons, the House of Lords, the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Electoral Commission. ‘Short’ and ‘Cranborne’ grants are available to parties in opposition in the House of Commons or House of Lords respectively.
- Public funds are donations from the House of Commons, the House of Lords, the Scottish Parliament and the Electoral Commission. ‘Short’ and ‘Cranborne’ grants are available to parties in opposition in the House of Commons or House of Lords respectively.
- There were 29 registered political parties in Northern Ireland during quarter four 2024. Nine were required to submit a quarterly donation report and three to submit borrowing information within the deadline. The remaining political parties have previously submitted four consecutive nil returns. Providing they have not received donations in the last quarter, they are exempt from submitting a report.