Miliband's growing reliance on unions exposed: Labour's paymasters provide 77% of party's funding Unite union contributed £772,195 to Labour between April and June In total the unions gave Labour more than £2.4m in the second quarter Conservatives received £117,399 from Offshore Group Newcastle Limited The Unite union, led by Len McCluskey (pictured), was again Labour's biggest donor, contributing £772,195 between April and June Ed Miliband's growing dependence on Labour's union paymasters was laid bare yesterday as it was revealed that the barons are providing 77 per cent of the party's funding. Figures released by the Electoral Commission watchdog revealed that the Unite union, led by far-Left firebrand Len McCluskey, was again Labour's biggest donor, contributing £772,195 between April and June. In total, the unions gave Labour more than £2.4million in the second quarter, out of a total of just over £3million, which included lump sums of £485,830 from the GMB and £458,080 from Unison. Labour's reliance on union cash is particularly stark since the figures also show that Labour is in a staggering amount of debt, with outstanding loans of £12.8million, compared with £2.6million for the Tories. The party was forced to increase its overdraft facilities by £2.4million earlier this year with the troubled Co-operative Bank. Among the Conservative Party donations was a controversial £117,300 from Offshore Group Newcastle Limited, an oil and gas company promoting offshore windfarms. In May last year the company's subsidiary OGN North Sea won a £640,000 contract from the Department of Energy and Climate Change to build the foundations for offshore wind farms. The Tories topped the donations list and raked in a little over £4million in the same period, compared with £801,000 for the Liberal Democrats. But in another sign of the shifting sands in British politics, donations to the UK Independence Party doubled between the first and second quarters of the year from £74,000 to £153,000. That included £50,000 from businessman Guy Brook and regular donations from long-time supporter Stuart Wheeler, the spread betting magnate. The Lib Dems released figures showing that when union donations are disregarded they have raised more money from ordinary donors than Labour has. They also claimed to have more than 1,000 individual donors, three times the number who gave to Labour. Ed Miliband's dependence on the unions to fund his election war chest highlights the gamble he has taken by pledging to change the financial link with the unions Mr Miliband's dependence on the unions to fund his election war chest highlights the gamble he has taken by pledging to change the financial link with the unions, ending automatic payments from union members to the party. The Ministry of Sound gave the Lib Dems donations totalling £65,000 just weeks before the nightclub's boss James Palumbo accepted a peerage. The company made a donation of £50,000 to the central party on June 6, and on June 30 a further £15,000 was given to the Bermondsey and Old Southwark local association of Lib Dem deputy leader Simon Hughes. It takes the amount the company has given to the party to £698,000. On August 1, it was announced that Mr Palumbo had been elevated to the House of Lords - nominated by Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg. News of the donation was pounced on by Labour last night as an example of the Lib Dems" hypocrisy. Karl Turner MP said: "Nick Clegg pledged before the election to "take the big money out of politics." Now we know he meant he wanted to put his biggest donors in the House of Lords. Last night a spokesman for the Lib Dems said: "James Palumbo is a long-time supporter and donor. It should surprise no one that he continues to support the Liberal Democrats" aims." Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps said: "Despite Ed Miliband's promise of change, these independent figures prove his Labour Party is still dominated by the trade unions. They choose the candidates, pick the leader and remain Labour's biggest donors, providing three-quarters of the party's money. "Until Ed Miliband stops taking his union paymasters" cash, he will be too weak to stand up for hard-working people. Instead, he can only offer what the union barons want in return for their money: the same old Labour policy of more spending, more borrowing and more debt, exactly what got us into this mess in the first place. The largest donations to the Conservatives were £280,770 and £263,600 respectively from party co-treasurers Michael Farmer, a hedge fund manager, and James Lupton, an investment banker. Labour released figures showing the Tories had been given £1million from donors who attended private dinners with David Cameron and other senior ministers. They included hedge fund managers David Harding, who gave £100,000, and Neil Ostrer, who gave £50,000. Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said: "The Tories have raked in over £1million from private dinners with David Cameron and senior ministers in the last quarter. A Labour spokesman insisted the party was not as dependent on the unions as the figures suggest, since they record only donations of more than £7,500.