function and features of political parties

• political parties can be privately funded
• Policy development grants allocate £2 million to all the main parties so that they can employ policy advisors
• Short money is allocated to the opposition parties for their eork in the House of Commons based on the number of seats they have
• The leader of the opposition is also funded almost £800,000 for the running of their office
• Cranborne money subsidieses the work of scrutiny carried out by the opposition parties in the House of Lords
• subsidies do not cover campaigning and election expenses