It is hyperbolic to claim that donors are splurging cash on the Tories’ local campaigns to help them ‘buy’ the election

Launching the Labour party’s general election campaign on 5 January, Ed Miliband estimated that the Conservatives would outspend Labour by a ratio of 3:1. Recent media commentaries have suggested that the Conservatives are already attracting large sums in donations to the campaigns in their target constituencies. But is that much money being given? Ron Johnston, David Cutts and Charles Pattie examine the evidence.