The party has been threatening to take action for months, arguing Labour-held authorities are hoping to stave off impending defeat.
A two-day court hearing will now be held next month to determine if the UK Government’s decision to postpone polling which was due to take place in May.
Around one-third of all councils which are undergoing reorganisation as part of sweeping reforms to local government have requested a delay to their location election.
In total, 63 have now been pushed back, including Burnley, Cambridge, Cheltenham, East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, North East Lincolnshire, Oxford, Plymouth, Preston, Watford (Council and Borough Council Mayor), East Lancashire, and West Sussex.
Almost half of town and county halls where elections are being postponed have actively requested this – 29 in total. 21 of these are current held by Labour. Critics accusing local leaders of trying to avoid defeat as support for the party – and central government – languishes. However, it has been pointed out that similar steps were taken due to council reforms in 2019 and 2021.
‘The vast majority of elections are going ahead on schedule,’ said Local Government Secretary Steve Reed on Sky’s Politics Hub. ‘Where we have asked councils to let us know if there needs to be a delay or a postponement is where we’re going through the biggest reorganisation of councils in decades.’
Image: Element5 Digital / Unsplash
Leave a Reply