Labour members are quitting in droves: Party lost 46,000 paid-up supporters last year as it lurched from crisis to crisis under Jeremy Corbyn
- Official figures show Labour party lost almost 46,000 members last year
- Comes as Labour embroiled in anti-antisemitism row & unclear Brexit policy
- However, party continues to have largest membership of political parties
- Labour also raised the most income and spent the most in 2018, according to the financial accounts of political parties
Labour lost almost 46,000 members last year as the party lurched between crises, official figures show.
Jeremy Corbyn’s party lost 10 per cent of its membership in just one year as anti-Semitism and an unclear Brexit policy took their toll.
Though the party continued to have the largest membership of the British political parties, reporting 518,659 individual members on December 31 – a decrease from 564,443 in 2017.
The treasurers’ report from Jennie Formby and Diana Holland noted there was an increase in membership income – almost £800,000 to £16.9 million – in 2018, while the fall in member numbers was ‘in line with previous experience’.
Jeremy Corbyn’s (pictured) party lost 10 per cent of its membership in just one year as anti-Semitism and an unclear Brexit policy took their toll
Concerns over the leadership’s approach to Brexit, plus the row over the handling of anti-Semitism allegations, have been ongoing issues in the period.
Labour also raised the most income and spent the most in 2018, according to the financial accounts of political parties.
The Electoral Commission published details from 11 parties in Great Britain, with Labour’s income amounting to £45.6 million and expenditure £46.3 million.
The Conservatives were second with income of £34.2 million and expenditure of £36.3 million while the Liberal Democrats received £6.2 million and spent £6.5 million.
The SNP reported income of £4.7 million and expenditure of £3.6 million, and the Green Party income of £1.9 million and expenditure of £2.2 million.
Income and expenditure for most of the major parties decreased in 2018 compared to 2017, which featured a snap general election.
Labour’s income was £55.7 million and expenditure £54.3 million in 2017 while the Tories raised £45.9 million and spent £44.8 million in the same 12-month period.
For the Conservatives under Theresa May’s leadership, the treasurers’ review from Sir Mick Davis and Alan Mabbutt said the party’s income in 2018 was the ‘highest level… achieved in the last 40 years, outside a general election or European election year’.
Membership income also increased from £835,000 to £1.47 million, the pair added, although membership numbers were not provided for the period.
Conservative MP Brandon Lewis, in his former role as party chairman, last month said there were 180,000 Conservative Party members during the leadership election ballot.
The Liberal Democrats reported membership numbers decreased from 97,403 in 2017 to 93,649 in 2018, although was said to be 106,000 during the recent leadership election.
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