Conservative donations fall to lowest level since 2020

In October, Rishi Sunak became the third prime minister in one year

Donations to the Conservative Party between July and September fell substantially compared to recent years, with the party raising £2.9m.

It is the lowest amount they have received since mid-2020 and comes after months of turmoil in the party.

Labour raised similar amounts in the same time period, receiving £2.8m including £1.6m from trade unions.

The union Unite gave over £700,000 to the party, despite previous threats to review the funding.

Donations to the Liberal Democrats hit £1.4m, while the SNP did not register any donations.

Responding to the figures, a Conservative Party source said the numbers covered the six-week leadership election when donors gave money to leadership campaigns.

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The latest donations have been published by the Electoral Commission - the watchdog which oversees spending by political parties - and covers the period from July to September of this year.

During that time, Boris Johnson resigned as prime minister following scandals over Covid rule-breaking and the appointment of Chris Pincher as deputy chief whip.

Liz Truss was elected to replace Mr Johnson but was forced to step down weeks later when her economic plans triggered market turmoil.

The political turbulence appears to have damaged Conservative donations which fell from £4.8m in the second quarter of 2022 to £2.9m in the last three months.

Businessman Gareth Quarry is one donor who has switched his backing, giving Labour £50,000 - in 2016-17 he donated the same amount to the Conservatives.

A Labour spokesperson said: "Donors are coming back to Labour because they can see we are a changed party that is serious about getting into government and building a fairer, greener, more dynamic Britain."

Over half of the party's donations came from unions, with Unison giving £196,000 and Unite donating £728,000.

Earlier this year Unite, Labour's biggest donor, said financial support for the party was under review.

It followed a bitter row between the unions and the Labour-run council in Coventry over a pay dispute for bin lorry drivers in the city.

"Our wallet is closed to bad employers," Unite boss Sharon Graham said in February.

In addition to donations, Labour received £1.9m in public funds, which includes short money given to opposition parties to help pay for their activities in Parliament.

The Liberal Democrats and the SNP party claimed £296,342 and £396,300 in public money respectively.