Elections: Local Government
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what is the average cost to the public purse of a parliamentary by-election.
Answered by Samantha Dixon
The estimated cost of the Clacton by-election is set out in The Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers’ Charges) Order 2024.
The average (mean) cost of a UK parliamentary by-election between 2021 and 2025 was approximately £343,768, including candidate mailing costs. This figure is estimated from final settled expenditure where available and claimed expenditure for by-elections where the claims process has not yet been completed.
Expenditure accounts for the 2026 parliamentary by-elections have not yet been received from the relevant Returning Officers.
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