Guidance for Candidates and Agents at Combined Authority Mayoral elections

You are disqualified from standing as a candidate at a combined authority mayoral election if you hold any paid office or employment, where appointments or elections to it are or may be made by or on behalf of the combined authority or any of the constituent councils.1

A constituent council means a county council that is wholly or partly within the combined authority area, or a district council that is within the combined authority area.

This would be the case where your appointment:

• has been made by the combined authority or any of the constituent councils
• may be made by the combined authority or any of the constituent councils
• has been made on behalf of the combined authority or any of the constituent councils (e.g. by a committee or sub-committee which has been given the power by the combined authority or any of the constituent councils to make such an appointment)
• may be made on behalf of the combined authority or any of the constituent councils (e.g. by a committee or sub-committee which has been given the power by the combined authority or any of the constituent councils to make such an appointment)

However, this disqualification does not apply to the office of mayor or deputy mayor of the combined authority or a constituent council.

If you are a teacher (or are a non-teaching member of staff) employed by a constituent council, or where the appointment could be made by or on behalf of a constituent council, you will be disqualified from standing for election as combined authority mayor.

As a general rule, if you work in the local public sector, you should seek advice from your employer’s HR department to help you establish whether the disqualification would apply to you. Sometimes employment relationships can be complex and if this is the case for you, we recommend that you seek your own legal advice.

The disqualification of being employed by the combined authority or constituent council applies on both the date of your nomination and on polling day. If you were employed by the combined authority or constituent council, you must have resigned and served any notice period before the date of your nomination to avoid having a contract of employment with the combined authority or constituent council at that time.