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Election candidates could continue to receive a £500 expenses grant in 2025 if deputies back an amendment to keep it in place.
The current States Assembly & Constitution Committee, which favours scrapping the £500 grant for eligible campaign expenses, may have to bat off attempts to maintain it next week as it presents its second round of election policies to deputies.
The amendment, led by Deputy Lester Queripel and seconded by Deputy Tina Bury, has echoes of preparations for the 2020 election when the previous SACC committee also proposed removing the grant, but it was preserved by a majority of States members during debate.
Removing the grant is estimated the save the States £60,000 during each island-wide election period, and SACC has in both cases highlighted that candidates receive numerous other free benefits for campaign material production and distribution, including the combined manifesto booklet, meet and greet events, and the election website.
“Benefits-in-kind are a far more effective way of ensuring a fair election than grants or subsidies, which are only available once initial costs have been incurred,” the policy letter reads.
“Given the final cost of producing, printing and posting the booklets was higher than forecast in 2020 at £134,505 (owing to more candidates than anticipated) the Committee deemed it necessary to consider whether the grant to candidates should be provided again at an additional cost in the region of £60,000 - including an inflationary uplift to the £50,000 [the grant budget in 2020] - particularly in the current financial climate.”
SACC made the decision in February to suggest removing the grant, with officials advising the grant was not well understood and one candidate previously attempte to claim for getting their nails done during the campaign period.
Pictured: Deputy Carl Meerveld has often welcomed debate on SACC proposals inside the Assembly.
SACC President, Deputy Carl Meerveld at the time also said that he was aware that several candidates had put their names forward as they thought they would be paid £500 from the States “without having to do anything”, rather than claiming for relevant items such as leaflets through receipts and invoices.
Former SACC member, Deputy John Gollop expressed concern in the meeting that removing the grant would disadvantage less well-off candidates, but officials advised said while barriers to standing shouldn’t be created the money had to have been spent first before being recuperated.
“A grant in respect of receipted expenditure does put candidates who would struggle to mobilise the initial resource before claiming it back at a disadvantage. However, it does still offer reimbursement to those low-income candidates for whom the grant would allow or encourage to fund their own campaign material,” the policy letter adds.
“Whilst it is important that financial barriers for prospective candidates to run for Election are limited in the interest of openness and fairness, it should also be acknowledged that this was a key reason for the States to fund: the production and distribution of the manifesto booklets, the Election website which houses digital manifestos, and the ‘meet the candidate’ events which allow all candidates to meet with the electorate, all at no cost to the candidate.”
The policy letter and amendment will be considered in the States from 22 May.
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