'Big money does not buy election victories'

Published on Saturday 8 December 2007 12:23

WHEN Stagecoach tycoon Brian Souter announced his £500,000 donation to the SNP earlier this year, he said it was to "redress the imbalance" in political finances which saw pro-union parties funded from London while the Nationalists lacked resources.

The spending figures for the main parties in last May's elections, just published by the Electoral Commission, show Mr Souter achieved his objective. The SNP was able to treble its campaign expenditure compared with the last Scottish Parliament elections in 2003 and outspend Labour for the first time. They spent a total of 1,383,462 as against Labour's 1,102,866, the Tories' 601,983 and the Liberal Democrats' 303,740.

The Electoral Commission even pointed out the SNP and Labour were now coming close to the legal limit for election expenditure.

And the SNP's spending helped produce the desired result, getting an extra 20 Nationalist MSPs elected to Holyrood, making them the biggest party in the parliament and allowing them to form a government.

Questions might be asked about whether it is healthy that one wealthy individual can appear to have such an impact on the democratic process. But Mr Souter is not the first rich businessman to put vast sums into a political party and he won't be the last. The whole question of party funding, including limits on donations and caps on spending, is almost certain to be examined again in the wake of the dodgy donations rows north and south of the border.

But it is worth remembering large sums of cash do not always translate into victories at the polls. The Liberal Democrats spent more than any of the other parties in Edinburgh at the Holyrood elections, but failed to win their two target seats in the city.

Essentially the Nationalists' strong national performance on May 3 was largely down to a mood for change and clever wording on the List ballot paper which helped propel them into power. Money no doubt helps get messages across, but pouring cash into a campaign does not guarantee success - as other parties found to their cost.