The SNP spent more than £1m more on campaigning than its political rival Labour last year, it was revealed today.

The SNP spent more than £1m more on campaigning than its political rival Labour last year, it was revealed today.

Details of the parties' financial accounts for 2007 have been published by the Electoral Commission.

The SNP's accounts revealed the party spent £1,676,223 on campaigns last year.

That compares to the £638,014 which Labour in Scotland spent on its campaign.

The SNP accounts showed the party's income last year was a total of £2,562,970.

But it spent more than that, with expenditure amounting to £2,803,560 - leaving the Nationalists with a deficit for the year of £240,590.

The SNP accounts also showed its membership in 2007 was 13,944 - an increase of almost 50% from 2003 when it was 9,450.

Scottish Labour's total income for 2007 was £1,029,358 and the party's total expenditure amounted to £940,851, leaving it with a surplus for the year of £88,507.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats reported a total income of £691,055 for 2007.

The party's expenditure was £766,038 - including election costs of £280,245 - leaving it with a deficit for the year of £74,983.

The accounts also showed that the Liberal Democrats' membership decreased slightly last year, going from 4,346 at the end of 2006 to 4,100 by the end of 2007.

There were no separate accounts for the Scottish Conservative Party.

However those submitted by the UK party showed the Tories spent £598,000 fighting the Scottish elections last year.

Andy O'Neill, the head of the Electoral Commission's Scotland office said: "The accounts of a party are a key source of information for anyone wishing to find out more about a political party's finances."