General Election: fifth weekly set of donations and loans to political parties published
16 Jun 2017 03:06 PM
A total of £2,121,634 in donations to political parties has been reported to the Electoral Commission in the fifth weekly report relating to the UK Parliamentary General Election.
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 fifth of six weekly pre-poll donations and loans reports, in which the Commission has published details of all donations and loans reported. The first four reports were published before polling day, with this being the first of the final two to be published after the election. In the first, second, third and fourth weekly publications, a total of more than £16 million in donations was reported.
The political parties that have reported receiving donations of more than £7,500 between 31 May to 6 June are:
Political party
|
Total donations received in the fifth pre- poll reporting period (31 May – 6 June 2017)
|
Conservative and Unionist Party
|
£1,605,800
|
Liberal Democrats
|
£353,950
|
Labour Party
|
£65,000
|
Scottish National Party (SNP)
|
£63,000
|
Women's Equality Party
|
£21,384
|
Total
|
£2,109,134
|
The Conservative and Unionist Party also reported in this fifth pre-poll report a donation of £12,500 that it received in the fourth reporting period.
Full details of all reported donations to registered political parties in the fifth pre-poll period are available here.
At the 2015 general election, over £3.8 million in donations was reported to the Electoral Commission in the fifth 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.
UK-EU Open Policy Limited (campaign name: Best for Britain) reported donations of £50,000 in the reporting period 31 May to 6 June 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
- 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.
- Details on made and upcoming pre poll publications:
Reporting period
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Deadline to submit report
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Date Electoral Commission will publish donations and loans
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3 May to 9 May
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16 May 2017
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Thursday 18 May
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10 May to 16 May
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23 May 2017
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Thursday 25 May
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17 May to 23 May
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30 May 2017
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Thursday 1 June
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24 May to 30 May
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6 June 2017
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Wednesday 7 June
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31 May to 6 June
|
13 June 2017
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Thursday 15 June
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7 June to 8 June
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15 June 2017
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Tuesday 20 June
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- 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.
- 175 parties were required to submit weekly reports to the Electoral Commission.
- 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.
- For more information about the rules for political parties during the General Election period, see the Commission’s media handbook here.
- 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.
- Registered non-party campaigners do not need to submit a ‘nil return’ to the Electoral Commission during the General Election campaign period.
- To see which non-party campaigners have so far registered with the Electoral Commission, click here