Non-party campaigners: UK Parliamentary general elections

A permissible source is:

• an individual registered on a UK electoral register, including overseas electors and those leaving bequests 
• a UK-registered company which is incorporated in the UK and carries on business within the UK 
• a UK-registered trade union 
• a UK-registered building society 
• a UK-registered limited liability partnership (LLP) that carries on business in the UK 
• a UK-registered friendly, industrial or provident society
• a UK unincorporated association that is based and carries on business or other activities in the UK

You can also accept donations from some types of trusts.3  Please contact us for advice on how to confirm the permissibility of trusts.

You must not accept donations from a political party.4

Although you can legally accept donations from charities as long as they are permissible donors under electoral law, charities are not usually allowed to make political donations under charity law. 

If you know that a potential donor is a charity, you should make sure that they get advice from the Charity Commission for England and Wales, Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator or the Northern Ireland Charity Commission before they make the donation.

What must you record?

If you accept a donation over £500, you must record these details: 

• the required details for the type of donor 5 (these are set out on the following pages)
• the amount of the donation (if monetary) or nature and value (if non-monetary)6
• the date on which you received the donation
• the date on which you accepted the donation7

You must record the donor’s address as it is shown on the relevant statutory register.

You will need these details when you report a donation to us.