Cabinet minister says voters WANT Labour to cancel 'pointless' local elections as Nigel Farage vows legal action
A Cabinet minister sounded defiance on cancelling 'pointless' local elections today - as Nigel Farage launches a legal bid to force votes.
At least 30 councils - covering more than five million people - are expected to have applied to postpone contests by a deadline that expires at midnight.
Ministers had invited authorities in areas caught up in devolution reforms to put in for delays, sparking accusations of a panicky effort to prevent Reform gains and save Keir Starmer.
But local government secretary Steve Reed batted away anger at the move, insisting there was no point running elections in May for 'short-lived zombie councils'.
Nigel Farage – who has branded the election delays worthy of a 'banana republic' – is expected to launch High Court proceedings today to get the decision overturned
Local government secretary Steve Reed batted away anger at the move, insisting there was no point running elections in May for 'short-lived zombie councils'
Writing in The Times, Mr Reed said: 'Ask the public if they think it's a good idea to elect thousands of councillors to jobs that are set to be abolished.
'Ask them if they want to protect local government duplication across the country two chief executives, two sets of councillors, two finance officers and so on.
'Then tell them running a series of elections for short-lived zombie councils will be costly, time consuming and will take scarce resources away from frontline services like fixing potholes and social care. They would probably say: don't do it.'
Mr Reed swiped that Reform wanted 'pointless elections' while 'Labour wants to fix potholes'.
'Outside of Westminster it's obvious what's more important,' he added.
Mr Farage – who has branded the delays worthy of a 'banana republic' – is expected to launch High Court proceedings today to get the decision overturned.
The Reform UK leader said he was 'primed and ready' to seek a judicial review of the Government's plans.
'We're about settling our arguments at the ballot box,' he said. 'We have this so we that we don't have to fight each other. That principle is what generations that went before gave so much to defend and if the others won't fight it, we will.'
He said the delays were 'the actions, not just of a Labour government, but with the connivance of the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. Denying elections is the behaviour of a banana republic.'
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Comment nowThe local elections are gearing up to be a critical moment in deciding Sir Keir fate, with Labour MPs increasingly mutinous.
The party is facing apocalyptic polls in Scotland and Wales, as well as a battering on councils.
Some 63 local authorities undergoing reorganisation were invited to delay elections -- in some cases for a second year running.
Around two-thirds of the councils involved are Labour-controlled, including Blackburn, Preston, Exeter, and Thurrock.
The list of councils seeking delays also includes some large Tory-controlled councils, such as East Sussex, West Sussex and Suffolk and Lib Dem-run Cheltenham.
