A total of �40m was spent on campaigning for the 2001 General Election, according to a detailed breakdown of spending published by the Electoral Commission.

2001 campaign spending

Labour - �10,945,119 Conservatives - �12,751,813 Lib Dems - �1,361,377 SNP - �226,203 Plaid Cymru - �87,121

The report shows how much cash was spent by national parties, local candidates and third parties, such as unions, at the 2001 general election.

Individual candidates spent just under �11.9m in total, compared to �12.9m at the 1997 general election.

Campaign spending in each constituency is strictly limited and candidates are required to register all expenses, such as printing and transport, with the government.

National spending

Separate rules govern spending by parties at a national level, such as billboard advertising and party political broadcasts.

In 2001, the Conservatives outspent Labour.

But all parties were comfortably within the national spending limits of �15.38m in Britain and �432,000 in Northern Ireland.

The 36 parties which ran up campaign expenditure at the 2001 election spent �26,660,840 in total, across the UK.

Nearly 90% of that was spent by the Tory and Labour parties.

Smaller parties

In Northern Ireland, the Ulster Unionist Party was the biggest spender, on �167,495 - or an average of �9,853 per constituency - followed by the SDLP on �155,565, the DUP on �73,230 and Sinn Feinn on �18,508.

Smaller parties

UK Independence Party - �693,274 Green Party - 43,087 Socialist Alliance - �27,062 Socialist Labour Party - �8,299 Of the parties not represented at Westminster, the UK Independence Party spent �693,274, the Green Party spent �43,087 and the Socialist Alliance spent �27, 062. The anti-abortion Pro-Life Alliance spent �4,207, the Communist Party spent �4,176 and the Muslim Party spent �2,484. The British National Party spent �15,000 on leaflets and other unsolicited material, although this was later discovered to have come out of candidates' expenses rather than central party funds. The National Front spent �60. 'Important step' Advertising, mail shots and transport were the biggest items of expenditure. Candidates contesting marginal seats were more likely to spend close to the legal maximum. Commission chairman Sam Younger said: "The report marks an important step in bringing greater transparency and openness to the campaign spending of political parties. "It also highlights a number of challenges for the Commission and parties in dealing with the new regulatory framework." The spending limit for candidates is different for each constituency. On top of a base rate of �5,483 candidates were allowed 6.2p per elector in county constituencies and 4.6p per elector in borough constituencies.