Member

The noble Lord, Lord Kerr, and the noble Baronesses, Lady Pinnock, Lady Jones and Lady Scott, referred to divide and rule, in relation to the local request for postponement. Ministers wrote to all areas following the publication of the White Paper and acknowledged that, for some areas, the timing of May 2025 local elections would affect their planning, particularly for those keen to deliver to the most ambitious timeframe. We have been very clear that the bar for postponing 2025 elections was set very high and would be permitted only if it could help deliver both reorganisation and devolution to that most ambitious timeframe—unlocking, importantly, the opportunities that will bring for local people in those areas.