Has Labour found a way to avoid election humiliation in May? It seems so.

The latest YouGov opinion poll puts the government’s approval rating at a miserable 17 per cent, stoking a belief that the party is heading for a drubbing in local elections that were due in the spring.

Then last month, Labour announced 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.

If it were to happen, then local elections in affected council areas would not take place in May 2025.

Now, the BBC is reporting that at least 12 out of 21 English county councils due to hold elections in May are set to ask ministers to delay the polls while options are explored.

Critics of the proposals say they will reduce democracy: replacing two-tier democracy (district/county councils) with unitary authorities means fewer elected representatives for local citizens – and of course no voters have been asked whether they support the changes.

And it seems likely that cash-strapped councils are looking at this from a purely financial, rather than a democratic, point of view.

This is the heart of the matter, of course: bypassing democracy.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Raynor has said it would be “ludicrous” for councils to hold elections if they were planning to reorganise their structures. But the timescale of reorganisation means it would be at least a year before voters would be allowed to make their views known.

You can see how this would appeal to a Labour government that is struggling at 17 per cent in the polls, whose leader is also super-unpopular!