What did Gillian Wood’s election campaign to become a councillor in Claughton ward spend £1,354.53 on?
What did Gillian Wood’s election campaign to become a councillor in Claughton ward spend £1,354.53 on?
ED – updated 4.7.2017 to include extra detail on VAT treatment and comment
Below this blog post is the paperwork submitted as part of the election expense return for the Labour candidate for the Claughton byelection for a councillor to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council.
These are open to public inspection and I inspected these at Wallasey Town Hall last week (although there was a delay due to “staffing issues”).
The agent for the Labour candidate Gillian Wood was Martin Morris. Although Cllr George Davies and the Wirral Labour Group have had an involvement in the campaign too.
On the 5th May 2017, the result was announced. Gillian Wood was returned as a councillor for a period of one year with a vote of 1,761 votes (52%), a majority of 1,021. The second placed candidate for the Liberal Democrats received 740 votes (22%) and the voting system used was first past the post.
The nomination papers for this candidate show that her nomination papers were submitted on the 3rd April 2017 at 4.30 pm and the initials (KR) of the Wirral Council employee that accepted them was Kate Robinson.
Strangely, this date on the nomination papers doesn’t match the date given on page 1 of the election expenses return (see below) (5th April 2017) as the date she became a candidate and is after the date given that the agent was appointed (4th April 2017).
I asked another election agent in this Claughton byelection (Allan Brame who was agent for David Evans the Liberal Democrat candidiate) about matters involving the documentation below. He helpfully pointed out that leaflets are zero-rated for the purposes of VAT.
He also stated that the latest date a person could become a candidate was the 4th April 2017 (close of nominations) and the earliest date 27th March 2017 (if the candidacy had already been announced). On the subject of donations he stated “I am surprised that the details of donations have not been provided.”
However, the election expenditure return shows expenditure of £1,354.53 (the spending limit was £1,427.42).
Invoices accompanying the return are for hire of a car PA System on polling day from SS Radio (£30) and for leaflets from LT Print Ltd (2,500 Vote Labour cards) for £169.20 (£141 + £28.20 (VAT)). Although as these are VAT zero-rated I’m puzzled as to why VAT is included on the invoice!
There are references to invoices 76414, 76415, 76796 and 76795 also from LT Print Ltd, also for leaflets. These invoices were paid by BACS payment and amount to £491, £364, £253 and £491.
It is claimed by the agent that of the first of these (invoice 76414) for £491 that £415.47 doesn’t apply to the election period as 5,500 of these leaflets were delivered prior to the 26th March 2017.
This would imply that this invoice (which was not supplied) was for 6,500 leaflets, of which 1,000 were delivered during the election period.
Where the money came from referring to the £1,354.53 spent during the campaign is unknown as donations were entered as £NIL.
As the candidate who was elected, Gillian Wood also has to state in a declaration which individuals or organisations funded her elections campaign which is published on Wirral Council’s website.
What’s in the nomination papers of the 6 candidates wanting to be a councillor for Claughton? (Wirral Council)
What’s in the nomination papers of the 6 candidates wanting to be a councillor for Claughton? (Wirral Council)
In the interests of openness and transparency in the Claughton byelection, I am publishing the nomination papers of each candidate during the election rather than after.
These are open to public inspection until 3rd May 2017 (the day before the poll).
Each form contains the candidates’ address, date of birth and the names of ten electors in Claughton who support their candidacy (referred to as proposer, seconder and eight assentors).
Each candidate has to sign to state they accept the nomination.
In addition to the nomination paper and candidates’ consent to nomination, candidates standing on behalf of a political party have to submit extra paperwork around the use of descriptions and party logos on ballot papers. This paperwork is not included here.
In order to be fair, the list is alphabetical by candidate surname (which is the order they will be on the ballot paper).
There is no deposit required to stand as a candidate for local councillor.
Please note each file below is a multi-page TIFF bitmap file.
If for whatever reason a candidate’s nomination paper is invalid* a Returning Officer (in this case Eric Robinson) can disqualify that candidate before the result is declared.
*There are 101 reasons it could be, but some have been corrected to correct errors.
I’d like to thank Wirral Council for the time involved in supplying the above information.
Polling day for the Claughton byelection is Thursday 4th May 2017.
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Who are the 6 candidates in the Claughton byelection (election of a councillor to Wirral Council)?
Who are the 6 candidates in the Claughton byelection (election of a councillor to Wirral Council)?
The nomination period is over and the six candidates in the Claughton byelection (for the election of one councillor to Wirral Council) are as follows (this list is alphabetic by surname).
EVANS David Robert Cynlais
22 Brancote Road, Claughton, CH43 6TJ Liberal Democrat
Nominated by Doyle, Francis M
HEYDON Liz
4 Quaile Park, Prenton, CH43 6WA Green Party
Nominated by Morgan, Michael P
JONES Beryl Rosina
108 Douglas Drive, Moreton, Wirral, CH46 6BY UK Independence Party
Nominated by Gray, Peter
SINCLAIR Barbara Vera
24 Frankby Road, West Kirby, Wirral, CH48 6EE Conservative Party Candidate
Nominated by Owens, Rowland
WHEDDON Leon Allen
26 Desmond Close, Wirral, CH43 9XN Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
Nominated by Lee, David
WOOD Gillian
74 Vaughan Road, Wallasey, CH45 1LP The Labour Party
Nominated by Davies, George
The election of a councillor to Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council will be combined with the poll for Metro Mayor. Polling day is 4th May 2017 (most people still vote at a polling station), although people registered for a postal vote may receive their ballot earlier than this.
Please if leaving a comment, a reminder that legal restrictions apply during the election period about statements about a candidates’ character or conduct. So please keep it civil (otherwise I will turn comments off on this post)!
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