Political parties, campaigners, members associations and elected officials have to follow the Political Parties, Referendums and Elections Act (PPERA) when spending money or accepting donations and loans.

One of the rules means that they have to report spending, donations and loans above a certain amount to us. If they break the rules, we’ll investigate and may take action under our enforcement policy.

Where a breach involves a criminal offence, but we can’t sanction or it’s so serious that our sanctions wouldn’t be strong enough, we can notify the police or prosecuting authority, so that they can decide whether to take further action.

Who and what we regulate

We regulate the political finances of:

  • Political parties
  • Non-party campaigners
  • Candidates standing for election
  • Individual party members
  • Those who hold an elected office
  • Referendum campaigners
  • Members associations
  • Unincorporated associations

Looking for information about other offences? We don’t regulate everything to do with elections, but can help you understand who does. Take a look

How we regulate

We use a robust and intelligence-led approach to regulating.

Throughout the year, we proactively monitor everyone we regulate to make sure they’re following the rules.

If they break the rules, we may take action under our enforcement policy. Read our enforcement policy for more information on our enforcement powers.

Financial reporting

We publish the political finance information reported to us by all groups, including:

  • donations and loans
  • campaign spending
  • annual accounts

Have a look at the latest financial reports