UK Staffordshire South 2005 election postponed

May 2, 2005

Josephine Harrison, the Liberal Democrat candidate for both the Staffordshire South parliamentary constituency in the UK general election, 2005 and the Kinver seat in the South Staffordshire local government district election, has died of an illness.

Because the death occurred after the close of nominations, and because postal voting has already commenced, the returning officer is required to declare that the polls for the Staffordshire South parliamentary seat and for the Kinver local council seat be abandoned. Fresh General Election and local council election polls, under the same writs of election, will now take place 28 days after the returning officer has seen proof of the death of the candidate. Under election rules, the existing nominees are entitled to remain nominated, although other, new, candidates may be nominated.

Other local council elections in Staffordshire South apart from Kinver, scheduled for Thursday May 5, 2005, are unaffected and will occur as scheduled.