Figures reveal Sinn Fein outspent rivals at general election last year

The Electoral Commission has today published the campaign spending returns of parties that contested the 2019 UK Parliamentary general election in Northern Ireland.

While some of the campaign spending ran into tens of thousands of pounds, some parties spent significantly less. The figures show that the Green Party, which contested three seats, had spending of £1, while UKIP, which ran in two constituencies, spent nothing at all.

The figures only cover party expenditure and do not count individual spending by the candidates, which is recorded separately.

The 10 parties reported spending a combined total of £120,996 during the regulated period that ran from December 13 2018 until polling day, December 12 2019.

Commenting on the returns from political parties and campaigners, Cahir Hughes, Head of Electoral Commission Northern Ireland, said: “This is the first publication of spending information relating to last year’s general election, an important part of the transparency which is essential to our democratic process. It is vital that voters are able to see clearly and accurately how money is spent on influencing them at elections.

“For future elections, we have recommended that the law be changed so that parties and campaigners have to provide voters with more detail about how they spend their money at elections.

“This sits alongside other recommended changes to improve transparency and to address public concerns about who has produced and paid for the political campaign material they see online.”

A number of parties did not contest all of the seats last year due to election pacts.

Reported spending by Northern Ireland parties that contested the 2019 UK Parliamentary election:

- Alliance Party £21,778

-Aontú £678

- Conservative and Unionist Party £22,017

- DUP £16,064

- Green Party £1

- People Before Profit Alliance £130

- SDLP £19,612

- Sinn Fein £34,684

- UKIP £0

- Ulster Unionist Party £6,032