WIREDGOV

Nine parties in Northern Ireland reported spending a total of £150,080 on campaigning during the regulated period for the 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election, in new figures published by the Electoral Commission yesterday.

Political parties that contested the election were required to submit a campaign spending return for the regulated period which ran from 16 January 2017 to polling day, 2 March 2017. Four parties submitted nil returns.

The table below shows the levels of reported spending; further details of all of the submitted returns are available here.

Spending by political parties at the 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election

Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance, Conservative and Unionist Party, Cross-Community Labour Alternative, The Workers Party and Traditional Unionist Voice – TUV all submitted their returns to the Commission late. The Progressive Unionist Party of Northern Ireland has failed to submit its return.

Ann Watt, Head of the Electoral Commission in Northern Ireland, said:

“The publication of these returns provides the public with important information on how much our political parties spent at the recent Northern Ireland Assembly election. We are disappointed that more than a third of the parties submitted their spending returns late or not at all. These failures are now being considered in line with the Electoral Commission’s Enforcement Policy.”

At the Northern Ireland Assembly election which took place in 2016, ten political parties reported spending a total of £343,558 on campaigning. Further information can be found in the press release that was issued at the time.

For more information please contact:

Cahir Hughes on 028 9089 4023
Out of office hours 07789 920414

Email chughes@electoralcommission.org.uk

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 efficiency

The Commission was set up in 2000 and reports to the UK and Scottish Parliaments.

2. The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act (2000) introduced controls on campaign expenditure by political parties contesting Northern Ireland Assembly elections. Parties with expenditure up to and including £250,000 must deliver a report to the Commission within three months of the election. Parties with expenditure over £250,000 must deliver an audited report to the Commission within six months of the election. No party spent over this amount at this election.
3. No non-party campaigners reported spending above the reportable threshold of £10,000.
4. Figures in this press release are rounded to the nearest pound.
5. As this was an extraordinary election to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the normal four month regulated period did not apply.
6. We publish details of all sanctions on a monthly basis here