Half of county councils in England could seek election delay
The BBC has revealed that more than half of the UK’s county councils due to hold elections this year may seek to postpone the vote.
At least 12 of the 21 county councils due to hold elections in May are preparing to ask ministers to postpone the vote to explore the options presented at the election. A major redesign of local government announced in December.
The government has set Friday as the deadline for regions interested in the first tranches of the devolution scheme.
But the District Councils Network, which represents smaller local authorities, said the postponement of the election would result in millions of voters being “deprived of local democracy”.
The government says no decision has been made yet.
Elections will be held in May for England’s 21 county council areas, along with elections for some unitary authorities and some regional mayors.
When the government announced its devolution plans in December, it was suggested that some of those elections, particularly those to county councils, might be delayed by a year or more. The scheduled mayoral election will not be affected.
According to plans announced by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Reina, Smaller district councils and larger county councils could merge to create a single council to handle all services.
Ministers see local government reorganization as a key part of plans to transfer power from Westminster to local communities.
Local Government Minister Jim McMahon wrote to councils in affected areas asking them to express an interest in participating.
Several committees are holding emergency meetings this week to decide whether to move forward.
County councils that have expressed interest and may postpone the election include:
- Devon
- east sussex
- Essex
- gloucestershire
- hampshire
- kent
- norfolk
- suffolk
- surrey
- warwickshire
- west sussex
- worcestershire
Ministers will make a final decision on whether to postpone local elections.
Councilor Kevin Bentley, Conservative leader of Essex County Council, said it was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to improve outcomes in Essex”.
Councilor Tim Oliver, Conservative leader of Surrey County Council, said: “We have a responsibility to get the best possible devolution deal for the residents of Surrey.”
May’s election will be Labour’s first electoral test since taking power in Westminster last July and is an important gauge of public sentiment.
Zia Yusuf, chair of the UK Reform Party, criticized the potential delay, saying: “Labour and the Conservatives are so frightened by the rise of the Reform Party that they are conspiring to deny the British people their democratic rights.”
Reyna told a select committee this week that it would be “ridiculous” to hold an election if parliament plans to restructure its structure.
But he said the government did not “prescribe” what should happen in council areas.
In 2021, the previous Conservative government postponed local elections in North Yorkshire, Cumbria and Somerset while councils in these areas were being reorganized.
But the current plan has drawn strong opposition from some local leaders.
A network of district councils claims ministers are “rushing” proposals to reorganize local government and denying residents a say.
Councilor Sam Chapman-Allen, chair of the group, said: “The government’s attempt to seize power from communities by replacing district councils with large councils has been ignored in the general election manifesto, and local elections have therefore been canceled.
“Democracy is being marginalized, with local voters being denied any democratic opportunity to adjudicate on a major reorganization that will have far-reaching consequences for the fate of thousands of British towns and villages.”
A spokesman for the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “No decision has been made about postponing the election.
“We will only consider postponing elections in areas where the relevant parliament has requested it, and where it would facilitate the reorganization and devolution of an area in line with the most ambitious timetable.”
