Reform UK has whipped itself into a frenzy, accusing Labour of “running scared” and trying to “silence the electorate” by delaying some local elections. But before you start imagining sinister plots involving shadowy figures and secret ballots, let’s take a step back – it’s far more mundane than that.
Reform Takes Aim (Again)
James McMurdock, the Reform MP currently facing scrutiny over a previous assault conviction, used his Commons time to claim Labour was laying “a framework” to “game” elections. Meanwhile, Lee Anderson took to social media to label Keir Starmer a “coward” and compare his government to a South American military regime – because what’s a political spat without a little hyperbole?
Not to be outdone, Nigel Farage called Starmer a “dictator”, and Reform’s chairman, Zia Yusuf, accused Labour of trying to “stop the English County Council elections”. A dramatic way of describing… council reorganisation.
The Actual Reason for Delays
The truth is far less exciting. Angela Rayner’s new devolution plans aim to give more power to local authorities by merging smaller district councils into larger “strategic authorities”. If these councils decide to merge, they won’t contest elections next year because, quite simply, they won’t exist anymore.
As housing minister Jim McMahon put it on LBC:
“It’s usual in a process of reorganisation that when a council makes a request for reorganisation – if there are elections taking place to a council that won’t exist within the term of those elections – then you hold off the elections.”
Instead of electing councillors to defunct councils, elections would be held for a “shadow body” – essentially a temporary version of the new authority until it’s formally established.
Some Councils Are On Board
Local authorities can request reorganisation, meaning this isn’t some dastardly plan cooked up in Westminster. McMahon explained there will also be a statutory consultation before any changes are confirmed. Democracy, as it turns out, is alive and well – despite Reform UK’s best attempts to sound the alarm.
The Reality Check
Reform UK, champions of a so-called “devolution revolution”, seem to have missed the irony. Labour’s plans are about giving more power to local authorities, not silencing voters. But why let details get in the way of a good political outburst?
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