A former mayoral candidate in North Tyneside was summonsed to court three times for unpaid council tax, it has emerged. Conservative councillor Liam Bones was issued three court summonses between May 2023 and May 2024 in relation to council tax arrears of up to £1,452.
Coun Bones, the Tories’ former leader in North Tyneside and their candidate in 2025’s mayoral election, said that he was in financial hardship and between jobs at the time. It has also been confirmed that Labour councillor Rebecca O'Keefe was issued a court summons by North Tyneside Council shortly after she was elected in May 2022, and was asked to pay £1,336.24.
The local authority confirmed that both matters had since been either "settled in full or a payment plan has been put in place". The Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed last year how a number of councillors across the region had been summonsed to court because of unpaid council tax bills between 2022 and 2025.
While North Tyneside Council confirmed at the time that it had taken three of its own representatives to court, it declined to name them – arguing that it had chosen to withhold the names of the politicians concerned under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, which protects personal data from being disclosed. But, following an appeal made by North Tyneside resident Charlie Keville, the Information Commissioner ordered the council to name two of the three.
Coun Bones, who has been a councillor since 2021, was served three summons in a 12-month period for the amounts of £598, £1,452, and £600.39. The Preston with Preston Grange ward representative told the Local Democracy Reporting Service on Tuesday: “At the time I was experiencing financial hardship and between jobs, which led to a missed council tax payment. This is a historic matter, all arrears were settled at the time, and I continued to be able to vote at all council meetings.
“It is unreasonable that missing a single monthly instalment can result in the council demanding an entire year’s council tax, as expecting people who are already struggling financially to pay an even larger amount immediately is unlikely to help them get back on track. This is an issue I will continue to raise at the council.”
Coun O’Keefe, who represents Chirton and Percy Main, was sent her summons on May 26, 2022. She said: “Before becoming an elected councillor, I fell into arrears with my council tax and defaulted on the agreed payment schedule. I made arrangements to resolve the matter and ensure that all outstanding amounts were paid in full.
“I am not seeking to justify the circumstances that led to this situation. Like many people, I have faced periods of financial difficulty and challenges that I did not foresee. I am human, and at times I have struggled, as many residents across our borough have.”
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said that a third councillor, who was sent a summons in November 2023 over an unpaid £91.10 should not be named as there was “insufficient legitimate interest to outweigh the harm and distress” that disclosing their identity would cause. However, the regulator found that the council had been “unable to provide any compelling arguments” to justify withholding the other two names, adding that their circumstances were “reasonably common and could be experienced by many people”.
A legal ruling from the Upper Tribunal in 2016 concluded that there was a “compelling legitimate interest in the public knowing whether a particular councillor has failed to pay the council tax, at least in circumstances where they have remained in default for over two months” and that the public interest in knowing the information was “central to the proper functioning and transparency of the democratic process”. That judgement stated that there may be “exceptional” personal circumstances to justify a councillor’s identity being withheld, but that the public interest outweighs this in most cases.
Any councillor who has unpaid council tax arrears of two months or more is legally barred from voting on the authority's annual budget. North Tyneside Council said that no councillors with this level of arrears participated in its budget votes during the years in question and the “necessary checks were undertaken”.
Stephen Ballantyne, North Tyneside Council’s interim director of resources, added: “The council originally withheld the information after carefully considering the data protection rights and personal circumstances of the individuals involved, in line with section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act. The ICO has now determined that, for two of the councillors, the balance of public interest favours disclosure.
“This decision relates solely to the application of FOI legislation. It was not a political decision, and the council will continue to apply the law consistently and transparently in all future cases. Further, it can be confirmed that where summons have been issued, the amounts have either been settled in full or a payment plan has been put in place.”
