Election spending does not guarantee success

ELECTION spending does not necessarily equate with election success judging from statistics provided by the Electoral Office in the run up to the Westminster election on May 6.

Despite spending more on the campaign for the UK Parliamentary elections in 2005 the Ulster Unionist Party and the SDLP fared worse overall than their more frugal counterparts in the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fin.

Parties are bound by strict spending guidelines in the run up to any poll. They are only allowed to spend 30,000 for every constituency they contest - 540,000 in total if they have hopefuls running for all 18 seats in Northern Ireland.

During the "short campaign" period - from the dissolution of Parliament to polling day - candidates may spend 7,150 plus 5p per elector in a borough constituency, or plus 7p per elector in a county constituency.

During the "long campaign" - running from January 1 until the dissolution of Parliament a fortnight ago - each candidate can spend a maximum of 25,000 plus 5p per elector in a borough constituency and 7p per elector

in a county constituency during the long campaign.

But in 2005 despite spending 251,119 the UUP lost five seats and got 127,414 votes (17.8 per cent.) Their rivals, the DUP, spent less than half of that sum 107,133, but romped home with 241,856 votes (33.7 per cent) and gained four seats.

Equally, the SDLP spent 150,247 in that campaign but did not increase their seats beyond three getting 125,626 votes (17.5 per cent). Sinn Fin conversely spent just 44,212 and gained a seat with 174,530 votes (24.3 per cent).

Total spending across all parties in the 2005 Westminster election campaign was 592,485.

The statistics are contained in an Electoral Commission guide published in advance of the UK Parliamentary Election.