No significant donations for SNP at start of 2018

The Scottish National Party did not pick up any major donations in the first quarter of the year, an official report has revealed.

By The Newsroom Thursday, 31st May 2018, 11:49 am Updated Thursday, 31st May 2018, 11:56 am

New figures from the Electoral Commission - the independent body set up to regulate party finances - revealed the SNP did not collect any donations over the £7,500 reporting threshold between January and March.

The party did receive £192,746 in public cash in what is known as ‘short money’, payments paid out to opposition parties to help with the cost of running their parliamentary operations.

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Donations beneath the £7,500 threshold do not show up in Electoral Commission reporting and yesterday party figures stressed the Nationalists are funded by multiple small scale donations.

Ross Colquhoun the party’s digital strategist said: “The SNP campaigns are funded by thousands of small donations from our mass membership and supporters”.

The SNP also collects income from membership subscriptions and Scotland’s largest party remain on course to overtake the Conservatives as the UK’s second biggest party in terms of membership.

Earlier this month, new data revealed the Nationalists had around 118,200 registered members as of January this year, with the Tories claiming 124,000. However, the long-term decline in Conservative membership numbers suggests it will not be long before they are outstripped by Nicola Sturgeon’s party.

The SNP has attracted thousands of new members in recent years. Picture: Jane Barlow/TSPL

Total of party Donations over £7,500 (Jan-Mar 2018)

Conservatives: £4.5

Labour £1.4m

Liberal Democrats: £564,135

UKIP: £0