Lib Dems won’t fight by-election – to save public money

A PARISH Council by-election has been called at Stockton Heath following the resignation of a councillor due to ill health.
Nominations close at 4pm on Friday – but the Liberal Democrats have decided they will not contest the west ward election because of the cost.
The parish council will have to foot the £6,900 bill if there is a contest.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Peter Walker (pictured) said: “This is public money from the Council Tax and could be put to better use in our village.
“The cost of a by-election to the parish council at nearly £7,000 to elect a person who will serve for less than two years, is too high to be justified.”
Cllr Graham Wellborn said:“The Liberal Democrats will not be putting up a candidate even though the resigned councilor was a Lib Dem. With less than two years to go before all-out elections for the parish, we think this money could be better spent in our village than on an election. I would encourage all potential candidates not to put up. This would allow the parish council to co-opt a replacement.
“We will not be part of a process which we think is an unnecessary use of a lot of public money.”
Cllr Celia Jordan added: “Co-option is also democratic. When there is a co-option existing councilors, who were democratically elected for four years and entrusted to make decisions on parish matters over that period, decide on a replacement from interested people who put their names forward.”
The democratic process allows for a by-election to be held when more than 10 voters in a ward request it within the required time period. This is what has happened in Stockton Heath. Should there be no candidates however, then the parish council is able to co-opt a replacement.
The councillor who is stepping down is long-standing council member Wendy Emsley.