Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey responds to the Government’s announcement that local elections planned for this May are being delayed in nine council areas.
Responding to the Government’s announcement that local elections planned for this May are being delayed in nine council areas, all but two of which are run by the Conservatives, Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey MP said:
“This is a disgraceful stitch up between Labour and the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats made sweeping gains against the Conservatives at the General Election, and now failing Tory-run councils are running scared and denying voters a chance to kick them out of office in May. “Where local elections are still going ahead this year, the Liberal Democrats will be campaigning hard to build on our historic election wins last year and give communities the strong voice they deserve.”
Councillor Joe Harris, Leader of the LGA Liberal Democrat Group, said: “Democracy delayed is Democracy denied. The public have been denied the opportunity to have their say on the performance of mostly Conservative run county councils this May including East and West Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Surrey. A Labour government, which knows its party is not strong in many of these areas, has colluded with Conservative County Councils who are desperate to stay in power and fear the judgement of the electorate.”
Liberal Democrat Local Government Spokesperson Vikki Slade MP said:
“This is a slap in the face of voters who are being denied the chance to kick out the Conservatives and give their verdict on the Labour government.
“The Conservatives are so scared of the electorate that they would rather cling on to power in councils without a democratic mandate. For those communities who are being denied the chance to vote this May, we will continue to stand up for them as local Liberal Democrat champions. Their voices must not be silenced.”