Report on campaign spending at the 2024 UK Parliamentary general election
Our key findings
After each UK general election, we publish information on the spending of political parties, non-party campaigners (NPCs) and candidates that campaigned at the election.
Our key findings include:
- total spending at the 2024 UK general election reached a record high of £94.5M
- the 2024 UK general election was the first election to take place with new, higher spending limits. The Labour Party and Conservative Party were the only parties to spend 70% or more of the limit
- parties and candidates continue to use a large proportion of their spending on unsolicited material to electors
- total spending by NPCs dropped to £2.6M following a peak of £6.2M in 2019
- the categories that parties, candidates and non-party campaigners (NPCs) use to report spending, which are set out in legislation, do not provide voters with useful information and should be changed
The 2024 UK general election was the first general election to take place with the changes introduced by the Elections Act 2022. This included changes to how parties, NPCs and candidates spend and campaign during the election.
This was also the first UK general election following the increase in the spending limits for political parties, NPCs and candidates which was to account for inflation. This means that the spending limits for campaigners were higher in absolute terms than at previous UK general elections. There was also a change to donation reporting thresholds.
The UK government also made changes which removed security costs from spending limits. Reasonable expenses which can be attributed to the protection of individuals or property do not now count as election spending for candidates or parties.
These changes were a significant change to the UK’s political finance system. We will continue to monitor and report on the impact of these changes at future elections.
We publish data on the donations received by parties and campaigners in our political finance database.
Overall campaign spending
Total spending at the 2024 UK general election was a record high
Total spending at UK general elections has increased significantly since 2001. However, any analysis needs to consider the differences in regulated periods at specific polls and the impact of inflation over time. The regulated period is the time when the spending limits and rules apply.
Regulated periods and spending limits are different for political parties, NPCs and candidates.
| Political party | Candidate | NPC | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | £68.6M | £23.4M | £2.6M | £94.5M |
| 2019 | £50.1M | £16.4M | £6.2M | £72.6M |
| 2017 | £39.1M | £14.2M | £2.6M | £55.9M |
| 2015 | £37.6M | £14.4M | £1.8M | £53.7M |
| 2010 | £31.5M | £14.1M | £3.0M | £48.5M |
| 2005 | £42.3M | £14.2M | £1.7M | £58.2M |
| 2001 | £26.7M | 11.9M | £1.2M | £39.7M |
Figure B (below) shows the data in Table A adjusted for inflation but comparisons are still difficult to make because of the differences in regulated periods. For example, data for 2005 relates to a regulated period which covered combined spending for the 2004 European Parliamentary elections and the 2005 UK general election.
However, there has been a clear increase in real-terms party spending since 2017. Adjusted for inflation and excluding the combined spending data from 2005, the 2024 UK general election was a record high for party spending.
There has been a less significant rise in candidate spending since 2017. NPCs’ spending peaked in 2019.
Figure B: Campaign spending by year and type of campaigner from 2001 to 2024 (inflation adjusted)
Spending by political parties
The 2024 general election had the largest number of parties report spending
The number of political parties reporting some spending at UK general elections has ranged between 34 in 2001 and 60 in 2024. This does not include those parties that submitted a ‘nil return’ (reporting no spending).
| Under £250,000 | Over £250,000 | Total reporting spending | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 53 | 7 | 60 |
| 2019 | 36 | 6 | 42 |
| 2017 | 31 | 7 | 38 |
| 2015 | 49 | 6 | 55 |
| 2010 | 32 | 6 | 38 |
| 2005 | 33 | 6 | 39 |
| 2001 | 30 | 4 | 34 |
The three largest parties continue to be the top spenders
The Labour Party, Conservative and Unionist Party, and Liberal Democrats, which are the three largest parties in terms of seats, have been the top three spending parties at each general election since 2001. However, in 2024, Reform UK’s spending was only slightly less than the Liberal Democrats’.
| 2024 | 2019 | 2017 | 2015 | 2010 | 2005 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour Party | £30.1M | £12.0M | £11.0M | £12.2M | £8.0M | £17.9M | £10.9M |
| Conservative Party | £23.9M | £16.5M | £18.6M | £15.6M | £16.8M | £17.9M | £12.8M |
| Liberal Democrats | £5.6M | £14.4M | £6.8M | £3.7M | £4.8M | £4.3M | £1.4M |
| Reform UK | £5.5M | £5.0M | - | - | - | - | - |
| Green Party | £1.7M | £0.5M | £0.3M | £1.1M | £0.3M | £0.2M | £0.04M |
| Co-operative Party | £0.3M | £0.06M | £0.04M | £0.004M | £0.007M | £0.007M | £0.008M |
| Workers Party of Britain | £0.08M | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Women's Equality Party | £0.04M | £0.1M | £0.3M | - | - | - | - |
Parties which stand candidates in a single part of the UK spend significantly less compared to those standing across several nations. At recent polls, the Scottish National Party has consistently spent the most among parties standing in a single part of the UK.
| 2024 | 2019 | 2017 | 2015 | 2010 | 2005 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish National Party | £0.8M | £1.0M | £1.6M | £1.5M | £0.3M | £0.2M | £0.2M |
| Plaid Cymru | £0.2M | £0.2M | £0.1M | £0.1M | £0.1M | £0.04M | £0.07M |
| Sinn Féin | £0.07M | £0.03M | £0.03M | £0.04M | £0.06M | £0.04M | £0.02M |
| Alliance | £0.05M | £0.02M | £0.02M | £0.02M | £0.02M | £0.02M | £0.009M |
| Scottish Green Party | £0.04M | £0.001M | £0.001M | £0.04M | £0.02M | £0.02M | £0.0004M |
| Democratic Unionist Party | £0.04M | £0.02M | £0.02M | £0.06M | £0.06M | £0.1M | £0.07M |
Accounting for inflation, and excluding the combined election spending period in 2005, Conservative Party spending has been relatively stable across the period with more change for Labour and the Liberal Democrats. However, both parties have had an election with a significantly higher spend. This was in 2019 for the Liberal Democrats and in 2024 for Labour.
Figure F: Party spending by three largest parties (by seats) in 2024 (inflation adjusted)
Few parties spend a high proportion of the spending limit
For many parties that contest seats across Great Britain, it has not been common to spend close to the limit. Typically, the Labour and Conservative parties have spent close to the limit. The Liberal Democrats came closest to reaching the spending limit in 2019.
Figure G: Total spend as proportion of party’s limit for parties standing in 600 or more constituencies across UK
Only the the Labour and Conservative parties spent a high proportion of the new spending limit
In November 2023, the UK Government increased the national spending limit for parties, NPCs and candidates at UK general elections in line with inflation. The spending limits for political parties had remained unchanged since they were set in 2000.
The limit for a party whose candidates contested every constituency increased from £19.5 million to £35.1 million. This represented an increase from £30,000 to £54,010 for each of the 650 contested constituencies.
Parties standing in one part of the UK spend much less than their limits
As the spending limit is £54,010 per constituency, parties which stand candidates in a single nation, with fewer constituencies, have lower spending limits. Except for the SNP between 2015 and 2019, these parties have never spent more than a quarter of their spending limit.
Figure H: Total spend of parties that stood in either Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland by the proportion of the party's spending limit
Most of the spending at UK general elections is spent in England
Most of the spending at UK general elections (80 – 85%) is attributed to England as it is the part of the UK with the largest population for campaigners to contact and engage with electors.
Spending across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland has been relatively flat although Northern Ireland has seen a steady decline since 2005.
| England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | £59.2M | £6.2M | £3.0M | £0.2M |
| 2019 | £41.8M | £5.2M | £2.9M | £0.1M |
| 2017 | £31.2M | £5.1M | £2.7M | £0.1M |
| 2015 | £30.5M | £4.8M | £2.0M | £0.3M |
| 2010 | £25.9M | £3.1M | £2.2M | £0.3M |
| 2005 | £35.8M | £3.7M | £2.3M | £0.6M |
| 2001 | £22.3M | £2.5M | £1.4M | £0.4M |
Spending on unsolicited material to electors remains the largest spending category
Parties and NPCs have to show how much they have spent in different categories. These categories are set out in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.
The broad categories focus on types of communication with electors, including ‘unsolicited materials to electors’, ‘advertising’ and ‘events’. Unsolicited materials, which includes leaflets and direct mail to electors, has consistently been the category with the largest spend, followed by advertising.
In 2024, parties once again spent the majority of their campaign spending on unsolicited material to electors with a total of £26M. The next highest categories of expenditure were advertising (£19.7M) and canvassing/research (£6.7M).
| 2024 | 2019 | 2017 | 2015 | 2010 | 2005 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advertising | £19.7M | £14.0M | £10.1M | £6.9M | £9.2M | £15.8M | £10.5M |
| Campaign broadcasts | £1.2M | £0.8M | £1.2M | £0.9M | £1.5M | £1.1M | £1.1M |
| Research | £6.7M | £6.4M | £7.4M | £7.6M | £1.9M | £3.1M | £2.7M |
| Media | £2.3M | £1.0M | £0.3M | £0.3M | £0.8M | £1.0M | £1.4M |
| Admin | £6.3M | £3.1M | £3.1M | £2.0M | £1.5M | £3.5M | - |
| Manifesto | £0.3M | £0.4M | £0.3M | £0.3M | £0.7M | £0.7M | £1.8M |
| Rallies | £2.4M | £2.3M | £1.7M | £2.5M | £1.8M | £4.2M | £3.4M |
| Transport | £2.9M | £1.6M | £1.4M | £1.7M | £1.7M | £3.8M | £2.9M |
| Unsolicited materials | £26.0M | £1.6M | £13.7M | £15.2M | £12.5M | £9.1M | £3.0M |
Broad spending categories don’t provide voters with useful information
The broad categories of expenditure offer an indication of what campaigners spent their money on. But they do not provide a detailed breakdown of specific types of expenditure. For example, there is no specific legal category for digital campaigning. Spending on such campaign activity is reported under the existing broad categories.
The current spending categories should be revised to provide electors with more useful information about what campaigners have spent money on. This is important given the rapid development of campaigning techniques and the rise in digital campaigning since the categories were set in 2001.
Any changes would also need to be practical for campaigners to report their spending. We will work with the UK’s governments and parliaments to identify which sub-categories would best provide a complete picture of how campaigners are spending money to get their messages to voters.
Spending by candidates
On average candidates spent more than ever before
A record number of candidates stood for election at the 2024 UK general election. The number of candidates at each UK general election varies significantly depending on the circumstances of the election, including the timing of the poll.
Some candidates may not have spending to report, and others that do may provide incomplete information in their submission. Spending returns are submitted to Returning Officers and we collect and collate the data.
| Number of candidates standing for election | Average spend | Number of candidates submitting returns | Average spend | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4,515 | £5,172 | 4,379 | £5,332 |
| 2019 | 3,320 | £4,933 | 3,234 | £5,065 |
| 2017 | 3,304 | £4,294 | 3,264 | £4,346 |
| 2015 | 3,971 | £3,622 | 3,971 | £3,622 |
| 2010 | 4,150 | £3,388 | 4,031 | £3,488 |
| 2005 | 3,554 | £3,988 | 3,554 | £3,988 |
| 2001 | 3,319 | £3,581 | 3,291 | £3,612 |
There is no consistent pattern in candidate spending
The average spend per candidate has fluctuated since 2001 and, when adjusted for inflation (Figure L), shows no consistent pattern.
Figure L: Average spend per candidate submitting a return (adjusted for inflation)
Between 2001 and 2019, Conservative candidates spent the most during the regulated period ahead of the election. In 2024, Labour candidates were the highest spenders. Liberal Democrat candidates have consistently been the third highest spending group of candidates.
| 2024 | 2019 | 2017 | 2015 | 2010 | 2005 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour Party | £7.2M | £4.7M | £4.3M | £4.1M | £3.6M | £4.2M | £3.8M |
| Conservative Party | £7.0M | £5.4M | £5.2M | £4.9M | £4.9M | £4.6M | £4.1M |
| Liberal Democrats | £3.2M | £2.6M | £2.3M | £1.9M | £2.7M | £2.5M | £1.9M |
| Reform UK | £1.3M | £1.3M | - | - | - | - | - |
| Scottish National Party | £0.8M | £0.6M | £0.5M | £0.5M | £0.3M | £0.2M | £0.3M |
| Green Party | £0.6M | £0.4M | £0.3M | £0.4M | £0.2M | £0.2M | £0.09M |
| Workers Party of Britain | £0.3M | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Plaid Cymru | £0.2M | £0.2M | £0.2M | £0.1M | £0.1M | £0.1M | £0.2M |
| Sinn Féin | £0.2M | £0.1M | £0.1M | £0.1M | £0.07M | £0.09M | £0.07M |
| Alliance | £0.08M | £0.2M | £0.04M | £0.03M | £0.04M | £0.05M | £0.02M |
| Scottish Green Party | £0.06M | £0.02M | £0.01M | £0.03M | £0.02M | £0.01M | £0.004M |
| Democratic Unionist Party | £0.1M | £0.1M | £0.1M | £0.1M | £0.1M | £0.1M | £0.08M |
When adjusted for inflation, there is no single trend in parties’ candidate spending over this period. The combined spending data for 2005 shows high spending compared to later polls. Since 2015, spending has been relatively flat but with a notable increase for Labour candidates in 2024.
Figure N: Total candidate spend for largest three parties (adjusted)
Candidate spending limits also increased ahead of the 2024 UK general election
As with party spending limits, candidate spending limits were also increased in line with inflation ahead of the 2024 UK general election:
- a candidate’s short campaign spending limit increased from £8,700 to £11,390
- candidate spending limits were increased to £11,390 + 8p per registered elector in a county constituency or 12p per registered elector in a borough constituency.
There are big differences across political parties as to how close their candidates come to reaching their spending limit
On average, candidates have not been spending up to the total limit at successive elections. This trend continued in 2024, even though the spending limits were increased. Since 2001, there has only been one election (2005) when more than 10% of candidates spent over 90% of their limit.
There is significant variation between candidates at each election. Many candidates report they had very small amounts or no spending at all. Other candidates report up to or over 100% of the limit. In 2024, two-thirds of candidates spent less than a quarter of their spending limit.
There are also significant differences across the parties:
- Liberal Democrat candidates’ average spend tends to be significantly lower than either Labour or the Conservatives’
- The Labour Party and the Conservative Party tend to have similar spending levels
- Scottish National Party candidates have often spent closer to the limit than the Conservative or Labour parties
- Green Party candidates (in England and Wales) consistently spend the least in proportion to their spending limit.
Figure O: Average candidate spending as a percentage of the limit
Candidates used most of their spending on unsolicited materials
Candidates must categorise how money was spent during the campaign on the spending return. This is similar to party spending but with different categories set out in legislation. Advertising and unsolicited materials such as leaflets have consistently been the areas of highest spend.
Figure P: Total candidate spend by category
The ‘unsolicited materials’ category consistently accounts for the highest proportion of spending – although this has declined slightly since 2010. There was also a small increase in the proportion of spending attributed to advertising in 2024.
Spending by non-party campaigners (NPCs)
NPC spending limits are a percentage of the spend available to parties which also increased for the 2024 UK general election. The limits were:
- England – £586,548
- Scotland – £81,571
- Wales – £54,566
- Northern Ireland – £39,443
The highest number of NPCs reporting spending was in 2019
The number of NPCs reporting spending at UK general elections has increased since 2001. The 2019 general election saw the highest number (43) reporting and the largest reported spend.
| Under £250,000 | Over £250,000 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 17 | 3 | 20 |
| 2019 | 35 | 8 | 43 |
| 2017 | 17 | 2 | 19 |
| 2015 | 23 | 0 | 23 |
| 2010 | 20 | 4 | 24 |
| 2005 | 22 | 2 | 24 |
| 2001 | 8 | 1 | 9 |
The National Education Union were the highest spending NPC at the 2024 UK general election
Several trade unions have consistently been among the highest spending campaigners at successive UK general elections. The National Education Union were the highest spending NPC at the 2024 election. They also reported the largest amount of regulated spending in 2019.
| Non-party campaigner | Reported spending |
|---|---|
| National Education Union | £617,730 |
| Best for Britain | £423,997 |
| Unison | £394,392 |
| 38 Degrees | £206,700 |
| HOPE not Hate | £158,624 |
| Cruelty Free International | £108,945 |
| WE OWN IT | £98,774 |
| Greenpeace | £95,851 |
| Led By Donkeys Ltd | £72,026 |
| Make Votes Matter | £65,165 |
| Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) | £50,781 |
| Non-party campaigner | England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Education Union | 98% | 0% | 79% | 0% |
| Best for Britain | 61% | 44% | 37% | 12% |
| Unison | 60% | 38% | 10% | 13% |
| 38 Degrees | 34% | 4% | 4% | 3% |
| HOPE not Hate | 27% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Cruelty Free International | 16% | 8% | 13% | 6% |
| WE OWN IT | 17% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Greenpeace | 14% | 10% | 9% | 0% |
| Led By Donkeys Ltd | 10% | 8% | 8% | 5% |
| Make Votes Matter | 9% | 7% | 6% | 5% |
| Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (USDAW) | 7% | 5% | 5% | 0% |
The distribution of spend across the nations of the UK has been consistent at all the UK general elections since 2001. Spending in England has accounted for 86 – 89% of total spending across these polls.
| England | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | £2.3M | £0.2M | £0.1M | £0.02M |
| 2019 | £5.3M | £0.5M | £0.3M | £0.08M |
| 2017 | £2.2M | £0.2M | £0.1M | £0.02M |
| 2015 | £1.5M | £0.1M | £0.09M | £0.04M |
| 2010 | £2.6M | £0.2M | £0.1M | £0.04M |
| 2005 | £1.5M | £0.1M | £0.04M | £0.003M |
| 2001 | £1.0M | £0.1M | £0.05M | £0.02M |
NPCs’ largest spending has been on election manifesto or campaigning costs at the last four UK general elections
Additional reporting categories for NPCs were introduced by the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014. Before this, the rules only covered spending on material, such as leaflets, adverts and websites.
Election manifesto or campaigning costs have been the largest spending category at the last four UK general elections. Administration costs have been the second highest area of spending at three of the last four UK general elections.
Figure U: Total NPC spend by category
Background
Political parties, campaigners, members’ associations and elected officials have to follow the Political Parties, Referendums and Elections Act 2000 (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. They must report what they’ve spent on their campaign after an election as well as reporting the donations they’ve been given and loans they’ve entered into. Candidates must also submit spending returns to their local Returning Officer after a general election.
We regulate the political finances of an array of campaigner types including:
- political parties
- non-party campaigners (NPCs)
- individual party members
- those who hold an elected office
- members associations
- unincorporated associations
If they break the rules, we’ll investigate and may take action under our enforcement policy. Police forces across the UK are responsible for regulating candidates. This is because candidate rules fall under a different area of the law, the Representation of the People Act 1983.
We publish data from political parties, campaigners and other groups, as well as candidate spending after major contests. We publish all of the information we receive from political parties, campaigners and other groups on our political finance database.
For party spending, the regulated period ahead of a UK general election is 365 days before polling day.
- In 2005 and 2010, for many parties, the period was longer and combined with spending at the European Parliamentary elections (in 2004 and 2009).
- The period was slightly shorter in 2015 to avoid being combined with spending at the 2014 European Parliamentary elections.
There are two regulated periods for candidate spending, the ‘long campaign’ and the ‘short campaign’. The long campaign covers the final months of a full-term parliament, starting once the UK Parliament has been sitting for 55 months. It ends when people officially become candidates which is usually when Parliament is dissolved. When the election is called and Parliament is dissolved before that 55-month point, there is no long campaign. This was the case in 2017, 2019 and 2024. For comparability, we have therefore used data for the short campaign only in this report. The short campaign is the period between the point where someone officially becomes a candidate through to polling day.
NPCs are organisations and individuals that campaign ahead of an election and are not standing candidates themselves. Registered NPCs must comply with campaign spending rules and donations rules during the 365 day period before an election. Although at the 2015 general election, this was shortened to seven and a half months to allow organisations to familiarise themselves with legislative changes made in the Transparency of Lobbying, Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act 2014.
Where figures have been adjusted for inflation, this was done using the Bank of England inflation calculator to adjust to 2024 prices.