Political parties accept almost £100m in donations in 2024
Political parties accept almost £100m in donations in 2024
Political parties registered in the UK have reported accepting £7,362,870 donations and public funds during the fourth quarter of 2024 (October to December), according to figures published today by the Electoral Commission.
This compares to £22,615,579 in the same period in 2023, and £9,898,591 in the previous quarter of 2024. £97,753,541 was accepted in the year 2024.
Jackie Killeen, Director of Electoral Administration and Regulation, said:
“Almost £100 million in donations was accepted by political parties during 2024. It is not unusual to see a spike in donations in the lead up to general elections as political parties began to campaign, and a drop in donations in the quarters after.
“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 in three key areas: limit company donations to the money that they have made in the UK; legally require parties to conduct know-your-donor checks on donations to assess and manage their risks; and ensure those who donate to unincorporated associations are permissible donors. Together, these reforms could help to improve the integrity of the overall regulatory regime.”
The political parties that reported donations in Q4 2024, including public funds, were:
| Party | Total reported | Donations accepted (excl. public funds) | Public funds accepted | Total accepted in this quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alliance - Alliance Party of Northern Ireland | £55,511 | £16,863 | £38,648 | £55,511 |
| Communist Party of Britain | £300,829 | £300,829 | £0 | £300,829 |
| Conservative and Unionist Party (GB) | £3,799,035 | £1,928,137 | £1,476,265 | £3,404,402 |
| Co-operative Party | £90,048 | £90,048 | £0 | £90,048 |
| Democratic Unionist Party - D.U.P. | £107,312 | £0 | £107,312 | £107,312 |
| Green Party | £161,977 | £40,864 | £93,113 | £133,977 |
| Labour Party | £1,434,580 | £1,026,808 | £25,881 | £1,052,689 |
| Liberal Democrats | £1,581,780 | £685,727 | £798,441 | £1,484,168 |
| People Before Profit | £21,620 | £0 | £2,269 | £3,369 |
| Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales | £52,806 | £20,000 | £32,806 | £52,806 |
| Reform UK | £336,800 | £281,000 | £0 | £281,000 |
| Scottish Green Party | £4,646 | £0 | £4,646 | £4,646 |
| Scottish National Party (SNP) | £42,123 | £0 | £42,123 | £42,123 |
| SDLP (Social Democratic & Labour Party) | £147,522 | £7,500 | £140,022 | £147,522 |
| Sinn Féin | £93,111 | £0 | £93,111 | £93,111 |
| The Reclaim Party | £50,000 | £50,000 | £0 | £50,000 |
| The Socialist Party of Great Britain | £34,809 | £34,809 | £0 | £34,809 |
| Traditional Unionist Voice TUV | £4,441 | £0 | £4,441 | £4,441 |
| Ulster Unionist Party | £21,207 | £0 | £21,207 | £21,207 |
| UK Independence Party (UKIP) | £75,000 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Total | £8,415,156 | £4,482,586 | £2,880,285 | £7,362,870 |
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. Four parties included donations in their quarterly report that should have been reported in previous quarters. The Commission will consider these matters in line with its Enforcement Policy, if appropriate. Any sanctions applied will be published at a later date.
Borrowing
One party reported entering into £3,427 of new loans in the fourth quarter of 2024. Loans with a value of £12,500 were fully paid off.
Ends
For more information contact the Electoral Commission press office on 020 7271 0704, out of office hours 07789 920 414 or [email protected]
Notes to editors
- Political parties are required to submit quarterly donation and loan returns to the Electoral Commission. Within these returns, parties report:
o donations accepted above the £11,180 threshold (over £2,230 for accounting units)
o smaller donations from a single donor which exceed the reporting threshold when taken together
o impermissible donations they have received and the action taken in relation to these
o donations which ought to have been reported in previous quarters - 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 accounts. Information on the political parties’ most recent statements of accounts is available on the Commission’s database.
- 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 421 registered political parties in Great Britain and Northern Ireland during quarter four of 2024. 63 were required to submit a quarterly donation report and 45 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 therefore exempt from submitting a report.
- 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:
o 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
o regulating political finance – taking proactive steps to increase transparency, ensure compliance and pursue breaches
o 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, Welsh and Scottish parliaments.