Tories massively outspend Labour and Lib Dems
By politics.co.uk staff
The Conservatives received more money in donations in the first week of the election campaign than Labour and the Liberal Democrats put together.
The Electoral Commission has revealed figures that show all donations to the parties between April 6th, the day the election was called, and April 12th.
In that week the Tories received £1.455 million, including 33 donations over £7,500.
The biggest donor to the party was finance company IPGL, which gave a quarter of a million pounds.
Labour was given £783,000 in the same period, with seven gifts over £7,500.
Nevertheless, it has received the biggest single donation for the campaign so far, £371,000, from building trade union UCATT.
The Liberal Democrats are riding high in the polls, but as these figures relate to the period ending April 12th, they do not reflect any surge in support after Thursday’s debate.
They received £20,000, seventy times less than the Conservatives, with only two donations higher than the limit for anonymity.
Figures released next week will show whether the debates have changed the level of donations as dramatically as it has the polls.
