Electoral Commission
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Fourth weekly set of donations and loans to political parties published ahead of General Election

A total of £2,296,189 in donations to political parties has been reported to the Electoral Commission in the fourth weekly report published prior to the poll on 8 June.

By law, political parties standing candidates at the UK Parliamentary General Election must submit details of any donations and loans of more than £7,500, as part of weekly reports to the Electoral Commission. Parties must notify the Commission if they are not standing candidates in order to be exempt from weekly reporting.

This is the fourth of six weekly pre-poll donations and loans reports, in which the Commission will publish details of all donations and loans reported. This is the final of the four of these reports to be published before polling day, with two which will be published in the following weeks. In the firstsecond and third weekly publications, a total of more than £14m in donations was reported.

The political parties that have reported receiving donations of more than £7,500 between 24 May to 30 May are:

Political party

Total donations received in the fourth pre poll reporting period (24-30 May 2017)

Conservative and Unionist Party       

£1,115,833

Labour Party

£1,046,692

Liberal Democrats

£103,120

Women's Equality Party

£20,544

Green Party

£10,000

Total

£2,296,189

The Labour Party also reported in this fourth pre-poll report a donation of £28,000 that it received in the third reporting period.

The Liberal Democrats also reported in this fourth pre-poll period receipt of £108,024 from public funds.

Full details of all reported donations to registered political parties in the fourth pre-poll period are available here.

Ahead of the 2015 general election, over £1.6 million in donations was reported to the Electoral Commission in the fourth pre-poll reporting period. A total of almost £14.4 million in donations and loans was reported across all pre-poll reporting periods at the 2015 general election.

Non-party campaigners

Registered non-party campaigners – individuals or organisations that campaign at elections, but are not standing as candidates or political parties – must also submit weekly pre-poll donation reports to the Commission if they have received any amounts above £7,500 to use for the purpose of their regulated campaign activity.

No donations of more than £7,500 were reported as received by non-party campaigners in the reporting period 24 May to 30 May 2017.

To search donations on the Electoral Commission’s website, click here.

Political Parties and non-party campaigners in Northern Ireland are required to submit weekly reports of their donations and loans to the Commission. The Commission is supportive of the case for full transparency about donations to Northern Ireland parties. However, the law currently prohibits the Commission from publishing this information.

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

Notes to editors

1. The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to promote public confidence in the democratic process and ensure its integrity by:

  • enabling the delivery of free and fair elections and referendums, focusing on the needs of electors and addressing the changing environment to ensure every vote remains secure and accessible
  • regulating political finance – taking proactive steps to increase transparency, ensure compliance and pursue breaches
  • using our expertise to make and advocate for changes to our democracy, aiming to improve fairness, transparency and efficiencyThe Commission was set up in 2000 and reports to the UK and Scottish Parliaments.

2. Details on made and upcoming pre poll publications:

Reporting period

Deadline to submit report

Date Electoral Commission will publish donations and loans

3 May to 9 May

16 May 2017

Thursday 18 May

10 May to 16 May     

23 May 2017

Thursday 25 May

17 May to 23 May

30 May 2017

Thursday 1 June

24 May to 30 May

6 June 2017

Wednesday 7 June

31 May to 6 June

13 June 2017

Thursday 15 June

7 June to 8 June

15 June 2017

Tuesday 20 June

3. In the pre poll weekly reports, political parties must report donations that they are given during the relevant period. However, parties have 30 days after receiving a donation to check that it is from a permissible source and to decide whether to accept it. If a party decides to return a donation, that will be recorded in Quarter 2 2017 donations and loans report which will be published by the Electoral Commission in August 2017.

4. 175 parties were required to submit weekly reports to the Electoral Commission.

5. Where a political party fails to submit a donation or loan report, the Commission will consider what, if any, action is appropriate in each case and in accordance with its enforcement policy

6.  For more information about the rules for political parties during the General Election period, see the Commission’s media handbook here.

7. Non-party campaigners must register with the Electoral Commission if intending to spend over the threshold of £20,000 in England or £10,000 in any of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on regulated campaign activity during a regulated period.

8. Registered non-party campaigners do not need to submit a ‘nil return’ to the Electoral Commission during the General Election campaign period.

9. To see which non-party campaigners have so far registered with the Electoral Commission, click here

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

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