Donations and loans

Anyone can give a donation or loan to a political party, individual or other organisation. There is no limit on how much someone can give if they are a permissible source.

It is up to the political party, individual or other organisation to check if the donation or loan is from a permissible source, and if they can accept it or not.

When political parties, individuals or other organisations receive a donation or loan, they have to:

• record information about the donation or loan, such as the amount and who it was from
• check the source of the donation or loan, and decide if it comes from a permissible source
• decide whether to keep or return the donation or loan, depending on its source
• report it to us, if it’s over the reportable amount or if they returned it

Some political parties can also receive a grant payment from us, and funding from parliamentary bodies. This is known as public funding. Find out more about the public funding political parties can receive.
 

Political parties

Political parties have to report donations and loans to us if they are above or aggregate to over:

• £7,500 to the central party (or over £1500 if the donor or lender gives further during the calendar year)
• £1,500 to accounting units (sections of a party whose finances aren’t managed directly by the party’s headquarters)

Individuals

Members of Parliament and Members of Scottish Parliament have their own processes for reporting donations and loans they have accepted. However, if they return a donation or loan as it’s not from a permissible source, they have to report it to us.

Welsh Assembly Members and Northern Ireland Assembly Members have to report donations and loans they have accepted and returned to us.

Other organisations

Other organisations that we regulate have to report donations and loans they receive above a certain value to us. This value is different depending on the type of election.

Unincorporated associations that donate more than £25,000 to a political party, individual or other organisation in a year have to register with us, and report what they give.
 

We publish information about donations and loans to political parties four times a year, at the end of:

• February
• May
• August
• November

This information includes:

• the political party who accepted the donation or loan
• the amount of the donation or loan
• who made the donation, including their name and status (such as individual or company), or if it was public funding

View donations and loans