Full cost of controversial Harton by-election to South Tyneside taxpayers is revealed
The by-election was called after the resignation of councillor Alex Clarke.
A Freedom of Information request to South Tyneside Council has revealed the full cost of the Harton by-election to taxpayers.
The contest in the Harton ward followed the resignation of councillor Alex Clarke, who was first elected in the landmark ‘all-out’ local elections in May, which saw Reform UK sweep to power.
However, the Reform UK councillor resigned from the post following reports of offensive comments made on a podcast, which Clarke described as a comedy‑based show, and the comments were slammed by Reform UK council leader Cllr Paul Mackings.
The cost of the by-election was an issue raised during election campaigning by some, with concerns about the cost to the taxpayer.
A freedom of information request from the Local Democracy Reporting Service has revealed the by-election cost to the council was £17,557.
The total cost was split into several areas from staffing and printing, to postal voting and the hiring of premises and transport of equipment.
The largest cost of the by-election was around £7,668 for staffing, which included poll card delivery, polling places, postal vote opening and “verification and count”.
The second largest expense was postal voting at an estimated £5,702, which covered the despatch and return of postal packs, with the council awaiting final invoices on this matter.
Other costs included £2,741 for printing, which covered postal packs, poll cards and ballot papers.
The remaining costs included £1,300 for polling places, covering the “hire of premises and transport of equipment”, and “miscellaneous” costs of £146 covering postage, stationary and equipment.
The overall cost of by-elections are influenced by several factors, from the number of polling stations required to voter turnout.
The total turnout for Harton ward on August 6 was 28.3 per cent, with around 1,780 votes cast out of a total electorate of 6,288.
A South Tyneside Council spokesperson, responding to the FOI, said: “Elections are a key part of the democratic process and the law requires councils to organise by-elections in certain circumstances when a vacancy arises.
“The cost of any election can vary depending on a range of factors, including the number of polling stations required, staffing levels, printing and postage costs, and voter turnout.”