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More than half of England’s county councils due to hold elections in May are expected to request a postponement following the government’s wide-ranging devolution plans.
Local government officials say 13 of the 21 UK councils scheduled to go to the polls, along with the Isle of Wight, are considering postponements as they consider cabinet proposals for local government reorganization. It is said that they are doing so.
The request comes ahead of the first local elections under the New Labor government, scheduled for spring, with Reform and Conservative parties hoping to capitalize on the government’s declining popularity. Labor has been accused by the Conservatives of not wanting to “face the voters”.
Critics also argue that a review of local government would dilute local democracy without saving money.
But ministers say the aim is to further decentralize Britain by creating a simpler and more efficient footprint for transferring power from Westminster.
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner has given county councils until Friday to postpone a vote to decide whether to join a rapid devolution process that will create new authorities in stages in 2027 and 2028. I was instructed to do so.
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Last month, the government announced plans for the most extensive local government overhaul in decades. Under the reform, regions within the country that are under the jurisdiction of two-tier local governments will be required to submit merger proposals.
The two tiers include county councils, which run services such as social care, and smaller district councils, which are responsible for neighborhood services such as planning and bin collection.
The changes are likely to mean abolishing all district councils and creating a larger unitary authority of around 500,000 residents. These could then work together to create a composite “strategic” authority that could cover a wider area and exercise devolved powers overseen by the mayor.
The proposed population figure of 500,000 people has sparked a backlash from critics who argue that increasing the size of parliament would weaken local democracy.
On Tuesday, Mr Reiner told MPs on the council’s housing and local government select committee that the figure was flexible, but that proposals for smaller councils of 300,000 or 350,000 residents were unacceptable.
Counties participating in the government’s “priority” devolution program will hold “shadow unitary council” elections at a later date, according to a letter sent to counties by Local Government Minister Jim McMahon.
Mr McMahon said: “For areas where elections have been postponed, we will work with the area to move to elections to new ‘shadow’ unitary councils as soon as possible, in line with normal arrangements during local government restructuring processes.” said.
The debate is taking place at county level, with many lower ward councils strongly opposed to both the delay and reform.
The District Council Network, which represents 169 district and unitary councils across England, said it expected at least 10 county councils to cancel elections this year, disenfranchising “millions of voters”. . . . their local democracy. ”
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The postponement means voters are “deprived of the opportunity to make a democratic decision” on the redistricting plan, the DCN argued.
DCN chair Sam Chapman-Allen said: “The cancellation of local elections was due to the government’s general election manifesto failing to mention that it was seeking to take power away from local communities by replacing district councils with mega councils. It was carried out in response to this.”
