Guidance for Candidates and Agents at Local Authority Mayoral elections in England

The following section provides guidance on candidate spending at local authority mayoral elections in England.

This guidance covers:

• how much you can spend in the lead up to the election
• which activities count as candidate spending
• what records you must keep
• how to account for different types of spending

The election agent has the main responsibility for complying with these laws, even if they appoint a sub-agent to help you with your expenses. However, candidates should be fully aware of the laws as both the candidate and agent must declare that the spending return is complete and accurate to the best of their knowledge and belief.1

See Who is responsible for candidate spending and donations? for more information about the responsibilities of the agent and candidate.

Candidate spending is often known as ‘expenses’. Sometimes, people think this means that spending can be reclaimed from the local council, from Parliament, or from us, the Electoral Commission. This is not the case. You are not entitled to recover any spending from public funds.