Short money

noun

1. (in Britain) the annual payment made to Opposition parties in the House of Commons to help them pay for certain services necessary to the carrying out of their parliamentary duties; established in 1975 Compare Cranborne money

Word History and Origins

Origin of Short money¹

named after the Rt Hon. Edward Short MP, Leader of the House of Commons in 1975

Example Sentences

Established parties of five MPs have previously been eligible for as much as £129,000 in "short money" - public funds given to opposition parties to support research.

From BBC

By forming an official group, the five independent MPs could get an additional £129,000 in "short money" - public funds given to opposition parties to support research and help them hold the government to account.

From BBC

A party grouping is awarded £22,295.86 in short money for every seat won at the general election plus £44.53 for every 200 votes amassed.

From BBC

The more seats and votes an opposition party win, the more so-called Short Money they get to support their operations.

From BBC

The SNP would have been likely to lose some of the £1.2m it receives in Short Money if its Westminster accounts - which cover spending on behalf of the party's MPs - were not completed on time.

From BBC