Annual Accounts of UK Political Parties

Labour Party

Annual accounts published by the Electoral Commission show that as of the end of 2022, the Labour Party had 407,445 members, experiencing a decrease of almost 25,000 compared to 2021.

This figure is notably lower than the peak membership recorded at the end of 2019, which stood at 532,046 Labour members.

Despite this decline in membership, Labour achieved some of its highest income levels outside an election year, raising £47.2 million and generating a surplus of £2.7 million. This marked a significant improvement from 2021, when the party had incurred a loss of £5.2 million.

A report from the party treasurer, David Evans, attributed the surplus to “difficult decisions” made in reducing costs and cited the “exceeded targets” of membership income, which was aided by new members and an improved rate of retention.

Conservative Party

In contrast, the Conservative Party reported a loss of £2.3 million, describing the year as “turbulent.”

The party witnessed a decrease in income from donations by £2.4 million compared to 2021, partly due to “donor pledges moving into 2023.” The Conservative Party does not disclose its total membership figure, but income from membership fees slightly decreased from £1.99 million to £1.97 million. Approximately 170,000 individuals were eligible to vote in the summer leadership election held last year.

Liberal Democrats

The Liberal Democrats recorded a deficit of £753,789 in 2022, which included a loss of £185,839 arising from the cancellation of the party’s annual conference following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

Despite this setback, the party experienced a slight increase in membership, rising from 94,706 to 97,493.

Scottish National Party (SNP)

The SNP faced a deficit of £804,000 in 2022, which the party stated was not unusual during nationwide election years.

The party’s accounts also reveal a significant decline in membership since the end of 2021. In that year, the SNP had 103,884 members, but by the end of 2022, this number had fallen to 82,598. Furthermore, the membership figures continued to decline, reaching 73,936 by the end of June 2023.