Local Elections
This is a hot topic right now and there is a lot of very understandable confusion around it. I hope this helps.
How we got here - sit tight - as with this Labour Government in power - it’s complicated and deeply frustrating:
As per the 2024 Labour manifesto, the English Devolution White Paper, Power and Partnership: Foundations for Growth was published on the 16th of December 2024 following their stated ambitions. The aim? To apparently end all remaining areas running on a two- tier (multiple district council under a county council) system and replace them with single tier unitary authorities. This was led at the time by the now disgraced ex deputy Rt Hon PM Angela Rayner MP.
However, the BBC reported at the time that,
‘This would mark a scale of reorganisation that goes beyond what Labour promised in its election manifesto’
Unitaries, as single large authorities, carry out all local government functions, whereas two-tier areas with smaller Districts and Boroughs deliver distinct local functions - as carried out by these current Sussex councils - such as planning and waste collection while others are delivered by the county council -such as education, adult social care and transport.
While this continues a trend of several decades towards larger single-tier local government in England, the big difference now is choice. When previous rounds of restructuring took place in 1992 to 1995, 2008 to 2009 and 2018 to 2021, these were requested and, therefore, supported by central government to be delivered by the local areas concerned, not simply imposed by central government under strict time frames. This key difference, unsurprisingly, has led us to a farcical situation of delays, cancellations, uncertainty and acrimony; the timetable, the Labour government now admits, is simply unworkable while still delivering the daily services we all need.
Back on the 6th of February 2025, the government ‘invited’ all of the remaining two-tier areas in England, together with small neighbouring unitary councils, to make interim proposals for new unitary councils by the 21st of March 2025. This included us here in my constituency of East Grinstead and Uckfield, and across Sussex more widely. It was a ‘get involved and be part of this or we will impose it on you.’
The District Councils’ Network was critical meanwhile of the direction of travel in the white paper, saying that it would not work for rural communities:
‘It will lead to geographically vast councils that are remote from local communities…This level of population may be suitable in large cities. But in most places we do not think it is workable, especially in rural communities which risk losing access to services and viable local democracy.’
The reality, however, was to either get on the bus early and have some input, some control over the process or wait and lose even this vague fingerhold. I can assure all of you, we went into this process in good faith, trying to get the best deal possible. Hobson’s choice, indeed.
At the same time, the then Communities Secretary, Angela Rayner, impressed on us that every region of England was to get a mayor under this major redesign of local government by the incoming Labour Government. Elections were set for May 2026. Remember, just one year ago, riding high on their election victory, they thought they could walk on water and now it’s just they choose to walk on voters’ heads.
Here in Sussex, we moved swiftly, as pushed by Rayner and the Labour machine. We selected our Mayoral candidate; Katy Bourne, who I believe would be a great mayor, with a proven track record of success as our Police and Crime Commissioner and already used to working cross-Sussex and cross-party to deliver for our communities with the network and experience to bring to this key strategic role, a suitable profile and well respected across the political divide. We rightly started campaigning for these elections due this May.
Then the goalposts changed. For everything. Again. Truly disgraceful and unforgivable, in my view.
Elections for the new mayoralties of Sussex and Brighton, Essex, Hampshire and the Solent and Norfolk and Suffolk have now been pushed back until 2028. This was announced, out of the blue, just before Christmas meaning voters will have to wait several years at this rate to choose their Sussex Mayoral candidate.
This is the second time elections have been delayed in these areas. Local elections due in May 2025 were delayed by then communities secretary Angela Rayner for a year in order to convert them into combined authorities led by mayors. While this could perhaps have been expected alongside the Mayoral delay, it is clearly unfair and unfathomable to many who are unaware of the process, the complications and lack of accountability in this rushed, unthought out process that has left us all in the lurch.
All 63 councils affected by the reorganisation due to hold elections in May were contacted on the 18th of December 25 by the Government to say whether they would like a delay to their local elections, with a deadline of the 15th of January to respond. This means some areas will have had councillors in place for 7 years.
In response, the shadow housing secretary, James Cleverly MP said, on the 4th of December 25, it was a,
"scandalous attempt to subvert democracy by a Labour government whose credibility and popularity are already in tatters".
"The Conservatives firmly oppose this decision to delay the mayoral elections, especially when candidates have been selected and campaigning is well under way,"
"Democracy is being denied yet again after the council elections cancelled by Labour this year.
"There is no credible justification for this move. The Labour government must reverse it immediately."
On the 19th of December, the chief executive of the Electoral Commission, Vijay Rangarajan said he was "concerned" that some elections could be postponed, with some having already been deferred from 2025.
"We are disappointed by both the timing and substance of the statement. Scheduled elections should, as a rule, go ahead as planned, and only be postponed in exceptional circumstances," he said in a statement.
"Decisions on any postponements will not be taken until mid-January, less than three months before the scheduled May 2026 elections are due to begin.
"This uncertainty is unprecedented and will not help campaigners and administrators who need time to prepare for their important roles."
Mr Rangarajan added:
"capacity constraints" were not a "legitimate reason for delaying long planned elections", which risked "affecting the legitimacy of local decision-making and damaging public confidence".
and there was
"a clear conflict of interest in asking existing councils to decide how long it will be before they are answerable to voters".
My thoughts
Here in Sussex, we went into the process in good faith, fully expecting the local government reorganisation to happen after the mayoralty election this May and fully expecting to see democracy in action in May. We were certainly expecting to have this significant election and signed up for all that entails – the planning, the campaigning and yes, raising money for a costly campaign across the whole of Sussex.
Labour decided to change the rules halfway through – after Angela Rayner left office. They now keep changing them to suit the Labour Party. There is a whole new team in the Ministry of Housing, communities and Local Government (MHCLG) who are now saying councils facing potential capacity and cost constraints can delay elections if they choose. I am not going to comment further on the minutiae of these – they are in the public domain, should you wish to investigate further.
This shambles is down to the Labour Government and how it moves forward will, ultimately, be decided by the Labour Government.
The Conservative Party is ready to contest, to fight any election. We have our candidate. We don’t hide away. We are ready. We trust the British people and will respect their choice.
When I talk to people about the council training and costs and complications, it doesn’t wash - I get it and agree. But Labour should own their choices and ineptitude so that’s the focus; we wanted the mayoral election. They are the election scrappers and have left local government in huge flux and it’s the LibDems and Greens that, in many districts, are now wantonly chucking money out, often to their causes, as their closing down sign is ignited.
This is an opportunity for you, the taxpayers, to be reminded who runs councils well and we Conservatives will never be afraid of making the argument on the doorstep. Meanwhile, perhaps those Liberal MPs bleating about lack of Sussex elections who are still District Councillors will choose this May to finally step down. We have two of those in Sussex who need to look themselves in the eye over their own hypocrisy, demanding elections for all but themselves and recognise they are only hanging on for their own party’s benefit.
