Political parties accept £24.7m in donations in Q1 2026
Political parties registered in the UK have reported accepting £24,716,802 in donations and public funds during the first quarter of 2026 (January to March), according to figures published today by the Electoral Commission.
This compares to £13,745,495 in the same period in 2025, and £15,450,561 in the previous quarter (Q4 2025).
Jackie Killeen, Director of Electoral Administration and Regulation, said:
“Political parties accepted £24.7m in donations in the first quarter of 2026. The UK political finance system has high levels of transparency, and we know that voters care about where parties get their money from. This publication is a key part of delivering this information to voters.
“However, we know there are parts of the system that need strengthening, and we have highlighted the need for changes to the law for some time. The UK government’s proposed reforms to the political finance regime in the Representation of the People Bill could strengthen donation controls and help ensure voters have confidence in the political finance system. We will continue to work with the government so that any changes are grounded in evidence and workable in practice.”
| Party | Total reported | Donations accepted (excl. public funds) | Public funds accepted | Total accepted in this quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advance UK | £28,000 | £28,000 | £0 | £28,000 |
| Alliance - Alliance Party of Northern Ireland | £61,871 | £20,535 | £41,336 | £61,871 |
| Conservative and Unionist | £6,063,711 | £4,225,354 | £1,837,607 | £6,062,961 |
| Co-operative Party | £439,300 | £439,300 | £0 | £439,300 |
| Democratic Unionist Party - D.U.P. | £104,347 | £0 | £104,347 | £104,347 |
| Green Party | £263,884 | £163,020 | £98,764 | £261,784 |
| Labour Party | £4,102,856 | £4,046,640 | £56,216 | £4,102,856 |
| Liberal Democrats | £3,019,235 | £2,291,101 | £727,134 | £3,018,235 |
| Open Party | £129,556 | £129,556 | £0 | £129,556 |
| Plaid Cymru - The Party of Wales | £59,467 | £25,500 | £33,967 | £59,467 |
| Reform UK | £9,936,393 | £9,262,000 | £674,393 | £9,936,393 |
| Scottish Green Party | £12,590 | £0 | £12,590 | £12,590 |
| Scottish National Party (SNP) | £218,758 | £125,000 | £92,758 | £217,758 |
| SDLP (Social Democratic & Labour Party) | £79,536 | £0 | £79,536 | £79,536 |
| Sinn Féin | £126,845 | £0 | £126,845 | £126,845 |
| Social Democratic Party | £15,000 | £15,000 | £0 | £15,000 |
| The Reclaim Party | £20,000 | £20,000 | £0 | £20,000 |
| Ulster Unionist Party | £40,303 | £0 | £40,303 | £40,303 |
| Total | £24,721,652 | £20,791,006 | £3,925,796 | £24,716,802 |
The value of donations reported by a political party may differ from the value of donations it actually accepted in that quarter. This can happen when parties report aggregated donations, return impermissible donations, or report donations late.
Borrowing
Four new loans were entered into by three parties during the first quarter of 2026, an amount totalling £32,256. No loans were reported as being paid off in full during the quarter.
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:
- donations accepted above the £11,180 threshold (over £2,230 for accounting units)
- smaller donations from a single donor which exceed the reporting threshold when taken together
- impermissible donations they have received and the action taken in relation to these
- 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 402 registered political parties in Great Britain and Northern Ireland during quarter one of 2026. 74 were required to submit a quarterly donation report, and 63 were required to submit borrowing information by 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.
- An unincorporated association is defined by law as any association of two or more persons which carries on business or other activities wholly or mainly in the United Kingdom and whose main office is there. Unincorporated associations only become regulated if they make political contributions, and must register with us if they make political contributions over £37,270 in a calendar year.
- The government's proposed changes to the political finance regime are intended to strengthen the system by closing loopholes. This should in turn build public trust and confidence. The government has proposed:
- Changing the law so that only companies which have a connection to the UK and have generated revenue in the UK can make political donations
- introducing additional ‘know your donor’ checks by political parties
- closing some of the loopholes in the unincorporated associations regime.
- 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, Welsh and Scottish parliaments.