Postponing elections “sets a dangerous precedent”

A hand placing a voting ballot into a black ballot box, marked with white letters as — The Norfolk County Council elections are currently scheduled for May 1, but could be postponed (PA Media)

A plan to postpone elections to Norfolk County Council later this year would set “a dangerous precedent”, an opposition group leader has warned.

The Conservative-led authority is expected to vote to work with the government on a major restructuring of local authorities. announced last monthand has called for May’s election to be delayed.

Council leader Kay Mason Billig said it would be “a standard step for areas considering reorganisation”.

However, Liberal Democrat Brian Watkins said that while he agreed debates on devolution should take place, he was “concerned about the delay of any election”.

“This sets a dangerous precedent and risks leaving Norfolk with another year under a failed and frankly desperate Conservative administration,” he said.

Brian Watkins has gray hair and wears rimmed glasses. He has a dark gray suit jacket over a blue plaid shirt. — Brian Watkins also said he wanted more details about the powers a mayor of Norfolk and Suffolk would have (BBC)

Provincial council elections are held every four years, with the last time being held in 2021.

But the elections in Cumbria, Somerset and North Yorkshire were postponed that year because proposals were presented to create unitary authorities in those areas.

After announcing plans for new transfer deals, the government set a tight deadline (January 10) for councils to say whether they wanted to be part of its “priority programme”.

The plan would replace district and county councils with unitary authorities, with a mayor overseeing Norfolk and Suffolk.

Norfolk County Council will meet next Thursday to discuss whether to express interest in joining the program.

Mason Billig said: “Any areas applying to be included in the priority program are also asked to apply for a delay to the county elections in May, to allow time to develop the proposals.”

He added that this could lead to a mayoral election in 2026. It is understood that elections for the newly created authorities would take place the following year.

Kay Mason Billig smiles at the camera on a sunny day. She has a dark blue jacket. — Conservative council leader Kay Mason Billig said a devolution deal with a mayor could provide more funding for Norfolk and Suffolk (BBC).

Labor group leader Steve Morphew said that if the council opted for devolution, “the natural thing would be to postpone the vote in May.”

“We don’t want to spend a million pounds – because that’s what elections cost – on electing for a couple of years people whose only job is to close down the body they’ve been elected to.”

However, other parties have attacked the plan.

The Green’s Jamie Osborn said: “The big parties are scared of the May election and are instead trying to hammer out a deal that will keep them in power.”

While Reform UK currently has no members on Norfolk County Council, its Norwich chairman Nick Taylor said the Conservatives were “scared” by the party’s growth and claimed the election should take place before the reshuffle. local government.

“The voices in the room should reflect the current electorate and not a 2021 mandate,” he said.

A government spokesman said no decision had been made about postponing the election.

“We will only consider postponing elections in areas where the council concerned has requested it and where it helps an area achieve reorganization and devolution on the most ambitious timetable,” he said.

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