Is Labour changing local government to avoid election embarrassment?
Isn’t it interesting how a different perspective can change our entire outlook – for example by asking: is Labour changing local government to avoid election embarrassment?
The government announced just after midnight on Monday (December 16, 2024) that it was planning major changes to local government in England, with unitary authorities replacing separated district and county councils where there was demand – and a mayor for every region.
But then we discovered that, if it were to happen, then local elections in affected council areas would not take place in May 2025 – and that put a completely different complexion on the story.
Answering questions in the Commons debate that day on the government’s ‘English Devolution’ White Paper, local government minister Jim McMahon said: “If those councils that come to the Government with a request for reorganisation meet the test and have a credible programme in place, the elections will likely not take place until the year after, because they will be postponed to elect the shadow authority that would replace the county and the districts.”
He added: “There will not be a mass cancelling of elections for the sake of it.”
That is hardly reassuring, even after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner had already provided a reason – because the basis on which the change may be made seems highly subjective.
Requests for reorganisation may have to “meet the test” – but what test? And who decides whether they have “a credible programme” in place?
It all seems very vague to This Writer – and also to Steve Walker, over on Skwawkbox, who said many may consider that the plan “will make many people subject to authorities physically and experientially distant from them”.
He said:
Local elections can easily be held in plenty of wards and districts that would not exist by the time the full term was served, to ensure voters are not denied their say.
But Keir Starmer’s and his party’s polling is so catastrophic – and recent local election results have seen such drastic collapses – that Starmer is said to be terrified of an electoral thrashing in May that would end his already-shredded credibility completely.
Using the devolution paper as cover for a widespread cancellation of local elections is an opportunity to hide from voters and accountability that he is grasping with both shaky hands.
It certainly seems possible that instead of giving UK citizens more control over democratic processes, Starmer is actually doing the opposite – and that would harm us all.
Source: Frit Starmer cancels 2025 local elections to avoid trouncing – SKWAWKBOX
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you do not have to look far remember that Peter Lilly who invited that company that got banned in fifteen States. over hear telling government how to change to USA system well now we have it with our social security which is now nothing like it was. they shown MPs how holding their hands out gets them payments of these companies even joking jobs our MPs many are corrupt untill we get MPs who job is to look after their electret
And why create mayors anyway?
There has never been any demand for this.