Report finds £2m of surplus UK general election funds ‘essentially disappeared’

Academic and Lib Dem peer ask where funds go when candidates receive more than limit, and who donors are

Almost 2m given to candidates in the 2024 general election has essentially disappeared" from the public's view of British political campaign finance, a report claims.

It notes that 170 candidates received in total almost 2m more than they were legally allowed to spend locally during the election, raising questions about where the surplus funds went after the campaign. The donors who funded them are also tricky to identify, especially if the candidate was unsuccessful.