09 March 2024 , 19:17
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The Lib Dems are could be half a million pounds in the hole if Rishi Sunak decides to hold an autumn election.
Party President Mark Pack admitted in an email to members that the party will be down £550,000 if the PM picks October or November to go to the polls, because of lost revenue from the party's annual conference. Party conferences are crucial for party fundraising, as sponsors and exhibitors flock to get their brands and campaigns in front of MPs and Peers.
Mr Sunak has repeatedly refused to say when the election will be. While many in Westminster believe he’ll go for an early poll in May to coincide with the local elections, the PM insists his “working assumption” is that it will be in the second half of the year.
“[Our conference] may be just before, during or just after a general election," he wrote in the email, setting out the agenda for a meeting of the party's Federal Board. That has significant implications for staff time, the conference budget and people's ability and willingness to take the time to come to conference."
A Lib Dem spokesperson said: “All political parties are making contingency plans for if there is an autumn election. The Liberal Democrats are ready for an election whenever it comes. We are laser like focused on beating as many Conservative MPs as possible and getting rid of this awful Government.”
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He added: "If a general election is called so that our planned conference would be in the middle of an election campaign, forcing its cancellation, and we're left with a £550,000 financial hole when we need our money most, I am sure many members will - rightly! - ask what we'd done to anticipate that. We need to have good contingency plans in place."
Figures released this week show the Liberal Democrats reported around £3million in donations in 2023.