Electoral Commission
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Second pre-poll donations and loans report ahead of the EU referendum published

Over £5.5million (£5,354,745) in donations to registered campaigners at the EU Referendum have been reported to the Electoral Commission in this second pre-poll report.

Under the European Union Referendum Act 2015, registered campaigners must complete four pre-poll reports setting out what donations and loans they have received over £7,500 between commencement of the Act (1 February 2016) and 22 June 2016. Campaigners must register with the Electoral Commission if they intend to spend more than £10,000 to support a particular outcome at the referendum.

Political parties that are also registered as referendum campaigners are not required to submit donations and loans pre-poll reports. They submit donations and loans reports to the Commission on a quarterly basis under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. You can see donations to political parties for quarter one here.

The second pre-poll report covers the period from 22 April to 12 May. Of the seventy one registered campaigners on 19 May when the second reports were due, there were thirteen with reportable donations received.

Outcome: Remain

  • Conservatives IN Ltd - £108,926
  • European Movement of the UK Ltd - £120,000
  • Scientists for EU Limited - £200,000
  • The In Campaign Ltd (‘Britain Stronger in Europe’ – designated lead campaigner) - £1,044,476
  • We are Europe - £100,000

Total: £1,573,402

Outcome: Leave

  • GO Movement Ltd - £10,343
  • Grassroots Out Ltd - £100,000
  • Imaginexit Limited - £10,000
  • Labour Leave Limited - £215,000
  • The Campaign For An Independent Britain Limited - £30,000
  • Trade Unionists Against The European Union - £46,000
  • Vote Leave Limited (designated lead campaigner) - £3,355,000
  • WAGTV Limited - £15,000

Total: £3,781,343

Vote Leave also claimed and received £200,000 in public funds. Both designated lead campaigners are entitled to a public grant up to £600,000.

In total, registered campaigners have reported £20,993,848 in donations since 1 February. Campaigners have also reported borrowing a total of £6,093,940 in the same period.

51 registered campaigners submitted a declaration that they had no reportable donations.

One registered campaigner, THE EU REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN LIMITED, reported one loan totalling £10,000. No other registered campaigners reported loans or credit facilities for this period.

You can view a summary report of the recent publication here. In order to see details of individual donors, you need to access the information from the Commission’s website here.

Six registered campaigners, Campaign Against Euro-Federalism, Conservative Grassroots, Democrat Publications, Left Leave, Mr Zaccheus Gilpin, and UCATT, failed to submit a donations and loans report. The Commission will consider each failure in line with its Enforcement Policy.

The Commission has now concluded a review of unincorporated associations registered as EU Referendum campaigners. SNP GO and Scottish Labour GO were found not to meet the registration requirements and have been removed from the register of referendum campaigners.

For further information contact:
The Electoral Commission press office on 020 7271 0704 orpress@electoralcommission.org.uk 
Out of office hours 07789 920 414

Notes to editors

  1. The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament. Our aim is integrity and public confidence in the UK’s democratic process. We regulate party and election finance and set standards for well-run elections and are responsible for the conduct and regulation of referendums held under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (PPERA) 2000.
  2. There will be four pre-poll donations and loans reports for the EU referendum. Three pre-poll reports will be published before polling day (23 June). One will be published after polling day. The publication dates can be seen on page 14 of our media handbook here
  3. For more information about the rules for campaigners during the referendum period, see the Commission’s media handbook here
  4. Spending limits for political parties can be seen on page 10 of the Commission’s media handbook. Designated lead campaigners have a spending limit of £7,000,000. Other registered campaigners have a spending limit of £700,000.
  5. To see which individuals and organisations have so far registered as campaigners with the Electoral Commission, click here
  6. The first quarterly donations and loans to political parties (January 2016 – March 2016) can be seen on our interactive database here
  7. Designated lead campaigners are entitled to a public grant of up to £600,000, to be used for certain spending including the administration costs associated with setting up and running a referendum campaign and the costs associated with the referendum campaign broadcasts and free mailing to voters

 

Channel website: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk

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