With the SEC expected to decide by May 23 whether to approve or disapprove a spot Ether exchange-traded fund, three asset managers amended their 19b-4 filings.
The Labour Party raised almost £4.4m in the second full week of the general election campaign – close to 15 times the amount brought in by the Tories.
Rishi Sunak’s party took in just under £300,000 between 6 and 12 June.
Reform UK raised more than double this figure, with £742,000 taken. However, £500,000 of this money was handed over by Britain Means Business, a company run by Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice.
The Liberal Democratsalso took in more than the Conservatives, raising £335,000.
The Green Party raised £20,000.
Labour raised £4,383,400 – and its partner the Co-operative Party raised £60,000.
Between 30 May and 5 June, the Conservatives took in £574,918, compared to Labour’s £926,908.
However, looking at the 2019 election, the Conservative Party raised 10 times this figure in the first week of the campaign – raising £5.7m between 6 and 12 November 2019.
Labour took in £218,500 at this time.
Who gave the parties the most money?
Digging into the breakdown from the Electoral Commission, we can see a bit more about who gave the different parties the most money.
As mentioned, Reform’s biggest donor is a company run by their deputy leader.
A man called David Lilley also gave the party £100,000, and another notable contributor was Holly Vukadinovic – the maiden name of model Holly Valance – who gave £50,000.
For the Lib Dems, they received £150,000 from Adam Management Holdings, and another £100,000 from the late John Faulkner, a former party member who has left money to the party.
The Conservatives registered a £50,000 donation from “The Spring Lunch” – which is the name of one of their fundraising events – as well as £50,000 from Bestway Wholesale, a company which has a Tory peer named as a director.
From our panel, a fifth of former Tory voters felt Reform resonated.
“I pretty much agree with everything that I’ve seen on the Reform Party’s manifesto. I like their views on immigration, the income tax threshold, the cutting of EU laws, the cutting of foreign aid,” one voter said.
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In Scotland, the SNP want to talk about independence, but the Scottish voters on our panel found other things to focus on in the party’s manifesto.
One voter told us: “I definitely agree with the £15 minimum wage, [and] more assistance for the care sector.
“It’s a shame we don’t have enough seats up here to run Westminster because I think a lot of people in the UK would follow a lot of the policies the SNP put forward.”
But another was not convinced, saying: “Nothing about the SNP is relevant, realistic or anything really – it’s just made-up garbage.”
Plaid Cymru
In Wales, Plaid Cymru want to win the Welsh vote.
One voter said: “Whilst I appreciate that Plaid Cymru are looking at the interests of people in Wales in particular, I disagree with the statement around taking full control of the economy.
“I am rather concerned that they are not happy about the defence spending.”
Green Party
The Greens say they are fighting for a fairer world, but do their pledges persuade our panel?
The Conservative Party is seen as “tawdry”, Ruth Davidson has said, as two of its candidates are being investigated over alleged bets placed on the election date.
An industry source has told Sky News that “more names” are being looked into, but police are so far “not involved”.
Speaking on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast with Sky News political editor Beth Rigby, and former broadcaster and presenter Carol Vorderman, the former leader of the Scottish Tories waded into the fallout of the alleged betting scandal.
“What an absolute shit show. Firstly, I mean, how tawdry is it?” she said.
She described it as akin to “insider trading” and criticised Rishi Sunak’s response, saying he had repeatedly failed to get out in front and take control of events.
More on Conservatives
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Speaking on the podcast, Ms Vorderman added: “The Tory party as they stand is just sleazy, it’s grubby.
“And it has gone on and on and on.
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“From outside the Westminster bubble, whatever Sunak says, people now openly laugh at Tory politicians whenever they’re out of your studio Beth.
“Whenever they’re in front of an audience they don’t command any respect whatsoever.”
The trio also discussed tactical voting and why candidates target some seats more than others.
Tory candidates Craig Williams and Laura Saunders are both under investigation. Ms Saunders is married to the party’s director of campaigns Tony Lee.
It also emerged this week that one of Mr Sunak’s close protection police officers has been arrested over alleged bets on the timing of the election as well.
During a leader’s event on BBC Question Time, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was “incredibly angry” to learn of the allegations and said if anyone had broken the rules “they should face the full force of the law”.
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