Conservative donations top Labour

Conservative donations totalled about £19m in 2008

The Conservatives received more than £5m in donations in the last three months of 2008, almost twice that given to Labour, official figures show.

In its latest update, the Electoral Commission said the Tories were given £5.1m in donations between October and December while Labour received £2.6m.

For 2008 as a whole, the Conservatives edged ahead with donations of about £19m compared to Labour's £17m.

The Lib Dems received £960,898 during the last quarter of 2008.

Graphic: Donations to main parties 2006-08

Among Conservative donors during the most recent period was Susan Anstey, wife of Tory peer Lord Ashcroft, who gave £250,000 to the party.

The Electoral Commission has launched an investigation into donations by Bearwood Services, a company owned by Lord Ashcroft, to the Tories after a complaint by a Labour MP.

The Conservatives have insisted the donations were legal and permissible.

Since the end of 2005, Bearwood has donated about £3m to the Conservatives.

The bulk of Labour's donations during the last three months came from union sources.

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