Lib Dems ‘most frugal party’
The Liberal Democrats emerged at the end of last year almost £450,000 in credit while their Conservative and Labour counterparts racked up large debts, new figures show.
Annual reports to December 2004 submitted to the Electoral Commission show the Lib Dems had a total campaign fund of £780,000 to go into an election year, although they admitted most of this would be gone by Christmas.
By contrast, the Conservatives had a £6.2 million shortfall in 2004, which took their overall debts to £13.1 million, while Labour’s pre-election spending converted a £2.6 million surplus at the end of 2003 to an overall deficit of £2.8 million last year.
For Labour, the added deficit was put down to extra efforts to improve membership – which they did, by 17,000. Although membership is still beginning to fall, last year it fell at the lowest rate since 1997.
Resources were also put into setting up the National Communications Centre near Newcastle in March last year, and into local government and European elections.
Meanwhile, some of the Tory party’s extra spending was attributed to the move to new offices in Victoria Street. A decision on what to do with the old party headquarters at Smith Square has yet to be reached.
The accounts also highlight an increase in membership which now gives the party “more members than both Labour and the Liberal Democrats combined”, the accounts say.
However, there is said to be concern in the party about a large bill issued by advertising firms owned by former Tory party chairman Lord Saatchi.
According to reports in The Times, these fees are close to £2.5 million and will be on the agenda at a meeting of the board today.
