THE Labour Party has been hit with a record fine after the elections watchdog found it had produced an inaccurate quarterly report regarding donations during the 2017 General Election.
The Electoral Commission imposed a penalty of £12,000 on the party along with a further fine of £500 for failing to provide accurate weekly pre-poll reports during the campaign.
The electoral Commission website says that the fine is “due for payment” but a Labour Party source said that the balance had been cleared.
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Elsewhere, the Conservatives last month received a penalty of £200 for failing to return an impermissible donation within 30 days of receipt, while the LibDems were fined £200 for failing to deliver an accurate quarterly donations report.
Louise Edwards, director of regulation at the Electoral Commission, said: “The sanction we have imposed on the Labour Party for an inaccurate donations report is the highest fine we have issued for an offence of this kind. As a well-funded political party it should be able to meet its legal requirements.
“The reporting requirements are clear, so it is always disappointing when parties and campaigners fail to comply. The law clearly states when and how financial data is required to be submitted to the Commission.
“We will continue to enforce these requirements on all parties and campaigners to ensure voters have the information they need.”
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