Tory party accused of ‘bottling’ May elections as county councils seek delay

The Conservatives have been accused of “bottling” the local elections after 13 Tory-led county councils in England said they were asking for a delay to this May’s polls to allow them to take part in a structural shake-up.

The Tory councils have agreed they will ask to be part of the government’s priority programme for devolution, which would mean they could ask to put off county elections for a year. Another council, led by Liberal Democrats, has asked to take part in the programme but also raised “significant concerns” about the implications of delaying elections.

The government said 11 councils had formally submitted their applications to be part of the programme before Friday’s deadline, with many of the local authorities making their final decisions late on Thursday.

Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, suggested before Christmas that the programme was about Labour trying to avoid elections, tweeting: “Elections should only be postponed in truly exceptional circumstances … Maybe Labour don’t want to face the electorate?”

However, with Conservative councils making up most of those applying to the programme, the Lib Dems suggested it was the official opposition who were trying to dodge the electorate.

A Lib Dem source said: “It’s no wonder the Conservatives are trying to delay these elections when we are beating them in former Tory safe seats like North Devon.

“Kemi Badenoch is bottling it and trying to cancel these local elections because she’s terrified of more Lib Dem gains and a Conservative collapse that would threaten her leadership.

“She could step in and ask Conservative councils not to delay; instead she’s sat on her hands. It’s sad to see this so-called defender of free speech now refusing to give voters a voice.”

Reform UK, which hopes to make significant gains in May’s polls, has also objected to delays, with its deputy leader, Richard Tice, accusing Conservative-led councils of “bottling it and abandoning the elections”.

The government’s proposals to abolish two-tier council areas were announced in December, as part of Labour’s aim to devolve more power from Westminster.

With 21 county councils and 10 unitary authorities due to hold elections in May, some have sought to delay them to allow time to develop proposals on reorganisation.

The councils that have publicly announced they are seeking an election delay include Tory-led Surrey, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Warwickshire, Hampshire, East Sussex, West Sussex, Devon, Leicestershire, Gloucestershire, Kent and Worcestershire. Oxfordshire is the Lib Dem council that has requested to take part.

Ministers have previously said there would be “very clear criteria” for delaying elections, with postponement only considered “where this would help deliver reorganisation and devolution”.

On Friday, Downing Street said delays would not be “mandated” and the government would “work collaboratively” with councils to ensure postponement “fits with reorganisation and devolution in the most ambitious timeframe”.

Meanwhile, some lower-tier councils have expressed reservations about delays. Alistair Beales, the leader of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk council, said postponing elections in Norfolk was “plainly unnecessary” and “could prove divisive”.

Downing Street said it would “provide certainty” to those areas that had asked for a delay “as soon as possible”.

The decision to put off elections may also mean a number of MPs who hold roles as councillors as well as in parliament delaying their resignation from their second jobs.

ITV News reported this week that 10% of MPs were also working as councillors, despite Labour’s promise to ban most second jobs for members of parliament.

Many local government experts have welcomed the overall plan, saying England is one of the most centralised countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Jonathan Carr-West, the chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit, a non-profit membership organisation, has called the government’s white paper “ambitious and far-reaching”, adding: “Localism is both a democratic good and a better way of getting things done.”

A spokesperson the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “No decisions have been taken on postponing elections. We will only consider postponing elections for areas where the council concerned have requested it and where it helps an area to deliver reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timeline.”