Non-party campaigners: UK Parliamentary general elections

Who is covered by the law?

The laws on spending and donations apply to non-party campaigners who spend more than £700 on regulated campaign activity.

Who is covered by the law?

There are restrictions that apply to spending on regulated activities by individuals and organisations that are:

  • not based in the UK
  • not on a UK electoral register 
  • not registered as a non-party campaigner

who campaign in the run up to a UK Parliamentary general election.

The lowest spending limit you must be aware of for non-party campaigning at UK Parliamentary general elections (UKPGEs) is £700. If you only spend £700 or less on regulated activities, the spending and donation laws do not apply. The imprint requirements do however apply.

Only certain individuals and organisations, that are generally UK-based, can spend more than £700 on regulated campaign activities.1  These non-party campaigners can spend up to £10,000 across the UK without submitting a notification to the Commission. The full list of eligible individuals and organisations can be found on the next page.

Individuals and organisations that wish to spend more than £10,000 must submit a notification to the Electoral Commission.2  Non-party campaigners who have submitted a notification to us, which we call registered non-party campaigners, are subject to additional requirements regarding spending and reporting.

The following pages provide detail on the restrictions that apply before you submit a notification to us.

Last updated: 19 December 2023