Labour raises 拢350k more than Tories in first week

Image source, PA Media

  • Author, Jennifer McKiernan
  • Role, Political reporter, 大象传媒 News

The Labour Party raised 拢351,990 more in donations than the Conservatives in the first week of the general election campaign, according to the Electoral Commission.

Labour raised 拢926,908, followed by the Conservatives on 拢574,918, and Liberal Democrats with 拢454,999. The Scottish National Party raised 拢127,998 and Reform UK 拢140,000.

This is a huge turnaround on the 2019 election, when the party was led by Jeremy Corbyn.

Back then, the Conservatives attracted 拢5.7m in the first week of the campaign - which was 87% of all donations - compared to Labour's 拢218,500.

Altogether, the amounts declared in the first week of the general election campaign are less than half of what was donated in the same period ahead of the 2019 election.

This time round, the biggest donation of 拢500,000 is to Labour, from Toledo Productions, a company set up by Duncan Kenworthy, who was a producer on Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and Love Actually.

This was followed by a 拢150,000 donation from Adam Management to the Lib Dems and 拢127,998 from Robert Benzie to the SNP.

The biggest Tory donor was Bassim Haidar, who gave the party 拢88,000. The Lebanese national is the founder of a company specialising in mobile financial and technical services.

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Official figures from the Electoral Commission show 拢3.247m was donated to political parties in the first week of the general election campaign, between 30 May - 5 June.

Of the smaller parties, Reform UK had the largest donation figure of 拢140,000.

Its biggest donations in the first week of the campaign were 拢50,000 each from H R Smith Group and Fitriani Hay, the wife of the former BP executive James Hay.

Mrs Hay previously donated 拢100,000 to the leadership campaign of former Conservative Prime Minister Liz Truss.

The Co-operative Party received 拢120,000 in donations, including 拢90,000 from Gary Lubner, the former Autoglass boss. It is common for Labour candidates to be on the ballot paper as Labour and Co-operative Party.

The Climate Party and the Social Democratic Party both declared 拢25,000.

The Green Party has not declared any donations, because they did not meet the 拢11,000 minimum threshold for declarations.

The total figure includes public funds of 拢830,218, largely made up of Short money, which is given to opposition parties with more than two MPs and named after the MP Edward Short who first proposed the idea of funding parties per seat.

Although Plaid Cymru did not receive any donations, they did receive 拢33,194 of public funding.

Louise Edwards of the Electoral Commission said this was the first of six reports on donations to parties, which are "an important part of delivering transparency for voters".