Guidance for Candidates at Parish council elections in England

Transport costs

It includes the cost of transport for the agent where they are reimbursed by the candidate, the candidate’s party or another third party.

Transport of volunteers and campaigners

It includes the cost of transporting:

  • volunteers
  • party members, including staff members
  • other campaigners

around the electoral area, or to and from the electoral area, including the cost of:

  • tickets for any transport, including any booking fee
  • hiring of any transport 
  • fuel or electricity purchased for any transport
  • parking for any transport

where they are undertaking campaigning on behalf of the candidate.

It includes the cost of transport paid for by any individual, political party or other third party that is paid for or reimbursed either by the candidate, the political party or a third party, where the individuals being transported were campaigning or undertaking activities associated with the campaign for the candidate.

Transport to an event

It includes the cost of transporting attendees to an event promoting the candidate where that cost is reimbursed or paid for by the candidate, the candidate’s party or another third party.

Transport that is promoting the candidate

This includes the cost of use, or hire, of any vehicle or form of transport that displays material promoting the candidate, including any cost associated with:

  • design and application of the design to the vehicle or form of transport 
  • driving or moving a vehicle around a specific electoral area 
  • parking fees where a vehicle is used to display material

Costs that are excluded

The following costs are excluded:

  • where the cost is paid for by the individual who used the transport and that payment is not reimbursed
  • where transport is provided free of charge by any other individual if the means of transport was acquired by that person principally for their own personal use 

‘Personal expenses’ include the reasonable travelling expenses of the candidate in relation to the election. 

Where a transport cost is a personal expense for the candidate, this does not count towards the spending limit. It must be recorded as a personal expense in the spending return. See Personal expenses for more information.

Last updated: 7 December 2023