‘We don’t know what is happening to that money’
A new report has found that £2 million in donations given to candidates during the 2024 general election campaign “essentially disappeared” from public scrutiny.
The research by Lib Dem peer Mark Pack and academic Chris Butler reveals that 170 candidates received a total of almost £2 million more than they were allowed to spend on their campaigns.
This raises questions about where the excess funds went after the campaign.
The details of who donated the money are also difficult to find, particularly if the candidate did not become an MP. Only candidates who are elected as MPs have to declare donations in their register of interests.
The candidate can legally transfer money over the spending limit to the central party, but Pack and Butler indicate that this mechanism may be used to obscure the source of donations.
They suggest parties may encourage donors to give directly to candidates rather than to the party, to avoid being listed in Electoral Commission records.
This is because donors who give money directly to a party are named in Electoral Commission records, while the details of those who donate to individuals remain anonymous.
Pack told the Guardian there are “reasonable grounds” for the elections watchdog to change its position on this, so people can look up the details of donors to individual candidates.
Pack said what happened to the £2 million in donations remains unclear: “We don’t know what is happening to that money”, adding “there is not a clear ‘what did you do with your surplus’ box on the expense forms”.
An Electoral Commission spokesperson said it does not have the legal powers to publish donors’ personal data.
They added: “We recognise that the current political finance framework could be strengthened further, and have recommended that our remit be extended to include candidates, which would simplify the regulatory process for candidates and improve transparency for voters.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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