Tories take more than half of donations to political parties

Conservatives have received more in donations this year than all other political parties put together, figures showed.

More than £6.7 million of the almost £12 million reported to the Electoral Commission between January and March went to the Tories.

Labour took £3.7 million and its sister Co-operative Party another £363,000.

The Liberal Democrats' coffers were swelled by almost £529,000 and Ukip was given £187,080.

The value of parties' outstanding loans fell £571,570 to £4,126,079.

The Women's Equality Party - which contested its first set of elections in May - received £169,474, more than the Scottish National Party (£108,136) and the Green Party (£103,230).

The British National Party recorded £65,000 and Plaid Cymru £5,000.

The biggest single sums were trade union funding for Labour - £764,903 from Unite, £654,634 from Usdaw, £628,856 from Unison and £587,057 from the GMB.

The Tories' biggest benefactors were Lycamobile UK Ltd (£569,300), financier Alexander Fraser (£258,200) and Michael Davis (£252,500).