Date set for Easington and Shotton County Durham by-election
Voters in the Easington and Shotton ward will return to the polls on August 7 after the resignation of Reform UK councillor John Bailey.
Reform UK won all three of the available seats within the East Durham ward during May’s ballot as it swept to power across the region to take control of Durham County Council. Mr Bailey came top with 1,849 votes ahead of party colleagues Howard Brown and Louise Taylor.
The ward was resized as part of boundary changes ahead of the election, and meant three incumbent councillors – Chris Hood, Angela Surtees and Ivan Cochrane – were voted out.
Speaking after the resignation, a Reform spokesman said: “We are deeply saddened to learn of Mr Bailey’s resignation as a result of a serious health issue.
“We are immensely grateful for him stepping forward to make a difference in his community.
“We wish John and his family the very best during this difficult time.”
The August by-election will be the second held by the local authority since May’s local elections, after voters in the Benfieldside ward returned to the polls today (Thursday, July 3) following the resignation of a Reform councillor.
People interested in standing in the by-election can submit nomination papers from Friday, July 4, until Friday, July 11.
Residents have also been reminded to register to vote.
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Anyone who wishes to vote must be registered to vote in Easington and Shotton and must be able to provide an acceptable form of photo ID, such as a passport, driving licence or concessionary travel pass, such as an older person’s bus pass. A full list of acceptable forms of photo ID can be found on poll cards.
The deadline for postal vote applications is 5pm on July 23, and for proxy vote applications it is July 30.
Residents who have recently moved, or who are not registered to vote, and have not informed electoral services are encouraged to register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote by midnight on July 22.