Some NI parties 'strapped for cash' after election overload

Sinn Féin was the highest spending party in Northern Ireland during the last Westminster election campaign.

Figures released by the Electoral Commission show the Conservatives spent more than the DUP despite standing just seven candidates.

In all a total of £120,000 was spent campaigning in June's general election. The Conservative party spent £7 for every vote it received.

Sinn Féin spent most at just over £28,000.

Surprisingly the Conservatives were next, spending £27,500 and returning with just under 4,000 votes.

• Sinn Féin £28,196

• Conservative and Unionist Party £27,488

• Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) £21,802

• Alliance Party of Northern Ireland £17,105

• Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) £13,580

• Social Democratic & Labour Party (SDLP) £9,274

• Green Party £501

• Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance £125

• People Before Profit Alliance £0

• The Workers Party £0

• Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) £0

The DUP spent almost £22,000; Alliance paid £17,000 and the Ulster Unionists' bill was £13,500.

The SDLP spent a total of £9,000.

• Party spend for Assembly election down

• Results of the 2017 General Election in NI

• Five main NI parties spent more than they earned in 2016

Three parties - The TUV, People Before Profit and the Workers Party - according to the figures did not spend any money on their campaigns.

One political party failed to deliver its expenditure return by the statutory deadline of 8 September and is under investigation by the Electoral Commission.

The individual candidate who spent most was Sinn Féin's Chris Hazzard in South Down at just over £15,000, followed closely by his colleague Elisha McCallion in Foyle on £14,500.

Two candidates recorded no spending - Jonny Orr, Independent, in Lagan Valley and Therese McCartney, Sinn Féin, in North Down. The least amount actually spent was £42.21 by Ricky Bamford of the Green Party in Strangford.

Six elections and a referendum in just three years has come at a cost for Northern Ireland's politicians. Some parties admit they are strapped for cash.