Mayoral and Local Elections Postponed for One Year Due to Coronavirus
Morning Star, London
MAYORAL and local elections in England due to take place on May 7 will be postponed for a year due to the coronavirus outbreak, it was announced today.
Downing Street said that it would be impractical to go ahead with the elections as planned, as they would come during the peak of the spread of the virus.
Local elections were due to take place for around 118 English councils, the London Assembly, the Mayor of London and seven English regional mayors.
Voting was also due to take place in England and Wales for police and crime commissioners, but the the Electoral Commission has advised postponing them until autumn to “mitigate” the spread of Covid-19.
It also warned of “growing risks” to delivering the elections at a time when council workers could have heavier workloads due to people self-isolating and being quarantined because of the virus.
Ten people have died of the virus, with 798 cases confirmed in Britain.
The decision to postpone the elections was backed by Labour.
Labour Party general secretary Jennie Formby wrote to the Electoral Commission chief executive Bob Posner today, before the announcement was made, to support his call for suspending the polls.
Mr Posner had written to Cabinet ministers this week to raise concerns over the delivery of the elections amid the pandemic.
In her letter, Ms Formby said: “The Labour Party takes our public-health responsibilities seriously and, having discussed these concerns today, we have agreed to support your request to postpone the elections.”
She adds: “We agree that the direct and indirect effects of the coronavirus mean there is likely to be significant numbers of registered electors who would not have the opportunity to vote, or feel inclined to vote — hampering the democratic process regardless.
“As well as the public-health considerations for the electorate, the primary focus for local council staff as we head towards the peak for the virus in the UK must be to ensure the continuation of critical public services like social care, home care and refuse collection.
“These frontline staff should not be diverted to administer local elections.”
Labour also noted that elections in 2001 were postponed because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak and that the coronavirus “is a far more serious situation affecting human health.”
MAYORAL and local elections in England due to take place on May 7 will be postponed for a year due to the coronavirus outbreak, it was announced today.
Downing Street said that it would be impractical to go ahead with the elections as planned, as they would come during the peak of the spread of the virus.
Local elections were due to take place for around 118 English councils, the London Assembly, the Mayor of London and seven English regional mayors.
Voting was also due to take place in England and Wales for police and crime commissioners, but the the Electoral Commission has advised postponing them until autumn to “mitigate” the spread of Covid-19.
It also warned of “growing risks” to delivering the elections at a time when council workers could have heavier workloads due to people self-isolating and being quarantined because of the virus.
Ten people have died of the virus, with 798 cases confirmed in Britain.
The decision to postpone the elections was backed by Labour.
Labour Party general secretary Jennie Formby wrote to the Electoral Commission chief executive Bob Posner today, before the announcement was made, to support his call for suspending the polls.
Mr Posner had written to Cabinet ministers this week to raise concerns over the delivery of the elections amid the pandemic.
In her letter, Ms Formby said: “The Labour Party takes our public-health responsibilities seriously and, having discussed these concerns today, we have agreed to support your request to postpone the elections.”
She adds: “We agree that the direct and indirect effects of the coronavirus mean there is likely to be significant numbers of registered electors who would not have the opportunity to vote, or feel inclined to vote — hampering the democratic process regardless.
“As well as the public-health considerations for the electorate, the primary focus for local council staff as we head towards the peak for the virus in the UK must be to ensure the continuation of critical public services like social care, home care and refuse collection.
“These frontline staff should not be diverted to administer local elections.”
Labour also noted that elections in 2001 were postponed because of the foot-and-mouth outbreak and that the coronavirus “is a far more serious situation affecting human health.”
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