Member

Local elections are the cornerstone of local democracy. They require certainty, clarity and proper planning to execute properly. Councils need time to prepare, candidates need time to arrange their lives, and voters need to know when they will cast their ballots. Ministers must be transparent when making any changes to electoral timetables, and changes should happen only when absolutely necessary. This was not the case with these changes—there has been indecision, opaque decision-making and a failure to provide a full account of why the Government pressed ahead with an undemocratic delay to local elections, only to reverse their position a couple of weeks later.