Communists in Suffolk, including Felixstowe's Mark Jones, have challenged one local Conservative association and three local Labour party branches to explain whether they will return a total of £40,000 of public money they have received under Government grants schemes aimed at helping out businesses struggling to survive during the COVID19 pandemic.

Freedom of Information research from HuffPost showed that no fewer than 22 local political associations had benefited from public money in this way. Of the seven Labour Party associations which received cash, no fewer than three are from Suffolk - Ipswich, South Suffolk and Suffolk Labour Parties. South Suffolk Conservative Association also received £10,000 in grants.

Mark Jones, Communist Party campaigner and county council candidate for Felixstowe Coastal ward said: "Whilst such payments might be technically legal, local Conservative and Labour Parties in Suffolk clearly also think they are moral as well.

"It's interesting that whilst Walthamstow Labour Party and Haltemprice Conservative Association, which have sitting MPs, have returned the monies, no such indications have been given by either Conservative or Labour Party chiefs in Suffolk.

"It is essential that this money is returned as an act of solidarity with hard-pressed local families and small businesses."

A Conservative Party spokeswoman told Huffington Post that councils decide whether a Conservative Association branch was eligible.

They added: "Local political associations are no different from other organisations in facing challenging times. The purpose of the coronavirus support schemes is to protect small organisations and prevent local job losses.

"The funding from these schemes is in line with government guidance."

They Labour Party groups also received and kept the £10k grants, while Stella Creasy in Walthamstow, ensured her association returned the money.

Among those locally that accepted the Covid grant include:

South Suffolk Conservative Association (Tory MP James Cartlidge): £10,000

Ipswich Labour Party £10,000 (no Labour MP)

South Suffolk Labour Party £10,000 (no Labour MP)

Suffolk County Labour Party £10,000 (no Labour MP

Walthamstow Labour Party £10,000 (Stella Creasy, payment returned)

Democracy campaigners have hit out at the trend of local party branches claiming public cash.

Steve Goodrich, senior research manger with anti-corruption group Transparency International UK, said: "There are heightened sensitivities about the use of public funds during the current crisis, and especially so when they are received by political parties.

"Whilst it may be permissible for constituency parties to accept government support, doing so may risk appearing as self-serving, especially by those who have not been eligible for assistance.

"Given the current low levels of trust in politics, it would be prudent for them to think carefully about the broader impacts of them applying for this funding, especially when these organisations would be ineligible for similar relief in other parts of the UK."

Tom Brake, director of Unlock Democracy, a non-partisan pressure group campaigning for a written UK constitution, said: "People will be really unimpressed to learn that politicians, often already in receipt of taxpayers' support, have seen their parties benefit from covid business grants too.

"The UK government would have been well advised to look over the border to Scotland, where such payments were prohibited."

For full story and list of politicians and parties involved go to Huffington Post expose.

Darren Turner, Communist Party candidate for Bury St Edmunds Tower ward added: "It wasn't that long ago that Lord Mandelson boasted that the Labour Party was intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich. To working class residents this makes it look as if local Labour Parties are equally laidback in raking in monies from taxpayers even though they don't have any MPs. The Communist Party is unimpressed with this attitude and is urging the Suffolk political establishment to return every penny of the £40,000 without delay."