WIREDGOV

Political parties in Great Britain and Northern Ireland have reported accepting a total of £12,522,311 in donations and public funds in the first quarter of 2022 (January to March), according to figures published yesterday by the Electoral Commission. The total is made up of donations and loans from eighteen parties, and compares to £15,298,219 reported in the same period in 2021.

Commenting on the information published, Louise Edwards, Director of Regulation, yesterday said:

“Political parties received over £12m in the first three months of this year. Parties are legally required to check that donations they accept are from permissible sources, and report these to the Commission. We publish donation details online to provide voters with transparency over the political finance process, and so that everyone can see how parties are funded.”

Political parties are required to submit quarterly donations and loans returns to the Electoral Commission, and include:

• donations accepted above the £7,500 threshold (£1,500 for accounting units)
• smaller donations from a single donor which exceed the reporting threshold when taken together
• donations which should have been reported in previous quarters
• impermissible donations they received and the action taken in relation to these.

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