According to figures published by the Electoral Commission and published by the BBC, we learn that Sinn Fein is the wealthiest and highest spending party in Northern Ireland with an income of £1.12m and spending £1.15m in 2008.

The SDLP had an income of £291,931 and spent £290,169. The Ulster Unionist Party’s income was £383,504 and it spent £397,734.

Details of the DUP’s finances were published last month. The party filed four sets of accounts, none of which exceeded £250,000 which is the threshold for publication by the Electoral Commission. The parties of nationalism are far out-spending the parties of Unionism – and the parties with “Unionist” in their names are all pulling in different directions anyway.

The figures for parties in Northern Ireland are of course swollen by their ability to accept donations from foreign sources…something not permitted for politicians from other parts of the United Kingdom. Just one of the many sops to IRA/Sinn Fein to get them to very kindly stop killing people.

More details from the BBC and from the Electoral Commission.