Thursday 31 July 2008

It's Not Just Football Clubs that Overspend for Sucess

The clash of the big two, no not the old firm, the Nats and the Socialists Labour Party saw wodges of cash thrown at the Scottish Parliament campaign in 2007. The Nats outspent Labour by over a million pounds.

So what you may ask? That is until you hear that labour traditionally the big spenders only spent £638,014. The extra seat at Holyrood appear to have cost the Nats £1,676,223 on the campaign and left them with a deficit of £240,590. Now election years always take a knock out of party finances as they tend to be biggest expenditure years on Party resources, they also tend to be the biggest time for raising funds as members and supporters.

Across the UK the Labour slashed £6m off their debt bringing it down the £18.9m. Some football clubs, my own included, go into administration for less. The Conservatives reduced their debt from £9m to £7.75m leaving only the Lib Dems in the black to the tune of £1.3m. It means that even any little hiccup would still leave the Lib Dems as the most prudent party when it comes to its own finances. Maybe the country should start to trust us with theirs as well.

2 comments:

  1. Ideas of Civilisation31 July 2008 at 10:23

    What I find interesting is how this leaves all the parties positioned for the next three years when, potentially, there could be UK and Scottish generals and an independence referendum.

    Just how much have the parties left in their respective bank accounts? Or alternatively just what plans and promised monies do they have to raise new cash?

    This is true for all parties but perhaps most interestingly for the SNP. They spent a huge amount more than Labour yet still only scraped a win. But now they are in government they so far have retained and in fact increased support.

    However will they be geared up to do this again next time, or indeed in an independence referednum?

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  2. Quite true interesting to see what potential there is to raise funds, under the current way of financing parties, or if any change will be forthcoming.

    On the spending front the Tories are also likely to invest a lot trying to win seats at the next GE just like they did in 2005.

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