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www.bradleystokejournal.co.uk
October 2021
t: 01454 300 400
News May 2021 by-elections cost town council over £15,000
T
he total cost of staging the cost of staging a single town by-elections in May 2021 council by-election staged in for two vacant seats on isolation from any other might Bradley Stoke Town Council has rise to between £7,000 and come in at a staggering £15,187. £8,000. However, given that The charges, levied by South the two by-elections held in May Gloucestershire Council, which 2021 were held on the same day administers the local aspects as the elections for the Avon of all elections, fall on the town and Somerset Police and Crime council to pay. Commissioner and the West of Previous one-off by-elections England ‘metro mayor’, it could in recent years have cost the town reasonably be expected that council up to around £4,500 the charges falling on the town each. However, these were all council would be lower than this, held when the ward sizes, and due to the sharing of costs. hence the number of people The two by-elections held in entitled to vote, were significantly May 2021 saw Angela Morey smaller than they are now. (Independent) win the vacant The increased size of the seat in Bradley Stoke North with electorate is a consequence of the 826 votes, while Edward He Boundary Commission reducing (Conservative) took the vacant the number of wards in the town seat in Bradley Stoke South with to three (from seven previously), 1,118 votes. prior to the May 2019 elections. Turnout in Bradley Stoke Winter 1 26/10/2020 It hadBSJ beenad.qxp_Layout anticipated that North,16:24 where Page there 1were three
Victors in the May 2021 town council by-elections (l-r): Angela Morey, the victor in Bradley Stoke North; and Edward He, who took Bradley Stoke South
candidates, was 32.4 percent. In Bradley Stoke South (two candidates), it was 30.2 percent. These figures are much lower than the 72.6 percent recorded at constituency level for the 2019 general election. The per-ward cost of staging the by-elections was £7,192 for the North ward and £7,995 for the South ward.
A HAPPY RETIREMENT IS JUST ROUND THE CORNER
When a vacancy arises on a town or parish council, a by-election is only held if one is called for by at least ten local electors. Otherwise, the vacancy is filled by ‘co-option’, meaning that the remaining members of council chose someone of their own liking who has expressed an interest in taking on the role once it has been advertised.
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