The Electoral Commission has published the campaign spending returns of political parties that spent over £250,000 during the 2019 European Parliamentary elections.
Eight of the political parties that contested the elections reported spending more than £250,000 during the regulated period that ran from 23 January 2019 until polling day, 23 May 2019. Altogether, these parties reported spending £11,471,082 on campaigning at the election.
Every political party that contested the European Parliamentary elections is required to submit campaign expenditure returns to the Electoral Commission. Of the eight parties which reported spending more than £250,000, five are being looked at in line with our Enforcement Policy, after submitting spending reports which are missing information that would give voters a complete picture of their campaign spending.
Of those five, and as a result of their incomplete spending returns, investigations have been opened into the Conservative and Unionist Party and the Green Party. Further investigations relating to other returns may follow.
Commenting on the returns from political parties, Louise Edwards, Director of Regulation, said:
“It is vital that voters are given the opportunity to see clearly and accurately how money is spent on influencing them at elections.
“Where parties deliver returns that are not complete, we seek to get correct information before publication. We cannot delay publication for this, though. In five cases on this occasion we have had to publish information that we are not satisfied is completely correct. We are, as usual, considering those cases for further action in line with our Enforcement Policy.”