Donations hit record for election campaigns

POLITICAL PARTIES received a record £40.1 million in donations in the run-up to this year’s General Election, according to new figures.

More than half of the cash went to the Conservative Party, which took almost £25 million from donors in the three months from April to June, compared to £9.5 million for Labour, the Electoral Commission said.

The total was £9.4 million more than the previous highest quarter on record, which coincided with the 2015 General Election.

In total, Conservatives received £24,840,627 over the three-month period, Labour £9,492,519, Liberal Democrats £4,358,410 and the Scottish National Party £596,000.

Ukip, which was boosted by a £1 million donation from Arron Banks ahead of the 2015 election, was less well funded in 2017, receiving just £156,455 in the second quarter of the year.

This was less than the £282,931 donations to the Women’s Equality Party and the £176,363 received by the Greens. Plaid Cymru had donations of just £5,300.

The £40 million total was more than £30 million higher than the amounts received during the first three months of 2017, reflecting the short period parties had to build up their election warchests as a result of Theresa May’s snap poll on April 18.

Electoral Commission director of political finance and regulation Bob Posner said: “The snap General Election prompted political parties to raise record-breaking sums in the second quarter of 2017.”