Paper 1: Political parties functioning and funding

Shot money

Money given to main party not in power to support their campaign

Basic MP wage

MPs are paid from general tax- basic salary in April 2024 was just over 91,000 and expenses are covered from from cost of running office/running westminster/travel

Trad funding

-Labour traditionally funded by trade unions, 25% in 2024 but increasingly from individuals 25% from Lord Salisbury

Regulating funding

Political parties, elections and referendums act. Set up independent electoral commission to monitor spending, capped party spending during a campaign to 30,000. Donations from individuals not on the electoral roll banned, high donations had to be declared and parties have to publish details

Case study: summer 2022

conservative party chose a new leader in leadership contest between Sunak and Truss

Case study: Manifesto

During elections, parties put forward policies in manifesto (2024 Labour scrap Rwanda policy, Reform scrap human rights act

Donation scandals

Christopher Harbone donated five million to Reform UK

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is launching an inquiry into whether Reform UK leader Nigel Farage broke Commons rules by accepting a £5m gift and not declaring it, the BBC understands.