Fundraising for the Conservative Party falters despite a significant £1 million contribution from a video game mogul
Conservatives and Labour Raise Millions in Second Quarter Donations
In the second quarter of 2025, political parties in the UK saw significant fundraising efforts, with the Conservatives and Labour leading the pack.
The Conservative Party received £2.9 million in private donations, a slight decrease from £3.4 million in the first three months of the year. Notably, a third of their total donations came from video game entrepreneur Jez San, who contributed £1 million. The party also declared £11 million in support during the quarter.
On the other hand, Labour received £2.6 million in donations during the same period, slightly more than the £2.4 million it declared between January and March. The party's largest private donation was £80,000 from property company Activepine, owned by Birmingham-based businessman Maqbool Ahmed. The GMB union donated £442,000, and Unite, a trade union, contributed £746,000. More than half of Labour's donations came from trade unions.
The Communication Workers Union donated £106,000 to Labour, and Usdaw contributed £246,000. The Conservatives received £250,000 from their current treasurer, Graham Edwards, and another £200,000 from businessman Kamal Pankhania, half personally and half through one of his companies, Westcombe Homes.
Meanwhile, donations to the Liberal Democrats fell by around half to £773,597.
Reform UK's donations remained relatively steady at £1.4 million, slightly down from the previous three months' £1.5 million. Notable donors included Nick Candy, who donated £300,000 to the party (also serving as Reform UK's treasurer), and Lebanese-born businessman Bassim Haidar, who contributed £200,000. However, Reform UK had to return a £100,000 donation from Bellcave Ltd, owned by Marc Meyohas, one of the owners of Greybull. They also accepted £100,000 from Greybull Capital, the company that bought British Steel in 2019.
The Conservatives said donors to Reform UK were "expressing continued hesitancy about their ongoing internal mess and billions in unfunded spending commitments". In response, Reform UK's treasurer, Nick Candy, said: "We are proud of our diverse and growing supporter base, which includes many successful businesspeople who share our vision for a better Britain."
Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake said the donations "underline the continued strength of support behind the Conservative Party". The party has faced criticism for its handling of donations in the past, with calls for greater transparency and stricter regulations. Parties must declare all donations of more than £11,180, as well as smaller donations that add up to more than this figure.
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