Keep on claimin', we'll keep on payin'

The MPs’ expenses scandal won’t have that much of a long-term financial impact obviously then:

The Conservatives are continuing to raise more funds than Labour, according to Electoral Commission figures.

Wednesday's figures show total private donations to all parties stood at £13.1m in the second quarter of 2009, up from £9.1m in the previous three months.

That made the April to June period the second highest figure ever for fundraising outside of a general election.

The Conservative Party received the most, securing almost £6.4m in donations during the quarter, including one donation of over £1m.

Labour saw its coffers swell by £4.4m, with its largest donations from unions such as Unite, the GMB, Usdaw and Unison.

Gordon Brown's party also repaid some £1.5m in loans during the second quarter.
The Liberal Democrats took in £1.1m in contributions, with a £250,000 loan from Lord Alliance converted into a donation.

Plaid Cymru's income in the quarter was just £9,050 while the SNP raised £61,610.

Apparently the UKIP pulled in over half a million (fair enough, unlike the main parties, Euro elections are their main battleground...but still). And the BNP are going to be investigated for telling porkies about the sources and amounts of their contributions.