The Conservative Party spent an eye-watering £16,486,871 on their landslide election win in December last year.
Figures published by the Electoral Commission today show they spent more than £200,000 for each of the party’s 80-seat majority won.
Most of the party’s budget – almost £6 million – was spent on “unsolicited material to electors”, the commission said
The second biggest spend was marketing and canvassing, which came at a cost of £4,471,937.
More than £1.4 million was spent on Facebook through media and advertising. Just over £1,000 was spent on Twitter advertising, but almost £500,000 was spent working with digital advertising agency Topham Guerin.
The company, founded in 2016 by two New Zealanders, produces images and videos for social media and was behind two controversial stunts: renaming the official Conservative party Twitter account “factcheckUK” during the televised debate, and setting up a website made to look like Labour’s manifesto.
The Government has since signed contracts with the company, hiring the PR team to work with it during the coronavirus crisis.
The party also spent £1,689,000 with Lynton Crosby’s firm CTF Partners.
Figures for the Labour Party and Lib Dems have yet to be published, but the cost of the SNP campaign was revealed to be £1,004,952 and The Independent Group for Change, which did not succeed in winning any MPs and has since been de-registered, paid out £29,556.
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