Political donations fall by £1 million

Political parties accepted £992,312 less in donations during the second quarter of this year compared with the first quarter of 2012, according to the political finance watchdog the Electoral Commission.

The Labour Party got a total of £2,964,471 in donations and affiliation fees. Four unions featured in the top 10 donations for the quarter. The Unite general union gave £840,275 to the party centrally and at constituency level and the shop and distribution workers’ union Usdaw gave £429,558. The GMB general union gave £313,863, while the public service union UNISON ranked seventh overall out of top donors with £213,000 to Labour.

Labour also received £1.6 million in public funds as money to support the work of the official opposition in Parliament.

The Conservative Party received the most out of the three main political parties with £3,785,579. Hedge fund boss and long-time financial supporter of the party Michael Farmer gave £512,450.

Liberal Democrats received £717,797 in donations and £350,440 in public funds. Its biggest donation — £250,000 — came from Brompton Capital Limited, a property development company owned by entrepreneur Rumi Verjee.

The Electoral Commission also reported that the right wing British National Party received a £100,000 donation from a Mr Albert Edward Stanmore.

www.electoralcommission.org.uk/