Liberal Democrats at Worcestershire County Council have called the Conservative administration’s plan to cancel May’s elections an attempt to cling to power and avoid the public at the ballot box.
In a letter to the minister for local government released to councillors on January 8, the council’s Conservative leader Simon Geraghty and its chief executive Paul Robinson requested to postpone the county council elections and start the process of preparing to move towards a brand-new unitary authority.
If approved they would be delayed until May 2026, potentially to decide on the new representatives for a body that could replace the county’s seven existing councils.
The move is in response to the Government’s announcement in December of its plans for a major a shake-up of local government.
The letter was released less than 24 hours before a full council meeting where the plans of the leader were not on the agenda. In response the Liberal Democrats raised the issue in an emergency question at the council.
Group leader Councillor Mel Allcott, representative for Claines, said: “I am simply baffled by the behaviour of the leadership. While Kent and Suffolk County Councils were debating the best way forward for their counties, we were having to force our leadership to even recognise there should be a discussion about the future of Worcestershire.
“Yet again, the leadership are trying to avoid scrutiny, ignore what residents may think and plan to cling to power.”
Liberal Democrat county councillor for Pershore, Dan Boatright-Greene said the local authority had ‘no mandate’ for the move. In a letter to all councillors he said: “I want to make it clear how undemocratic I consider this behaviour.
“I am not against a unitary authority but I am against a handful of people deciding the political makeup of an entire county without consulting residents or elected members. There has to be an election because all of us lose our mandate in May. That’s how democracy works. We don’t move the goalposts.”
Councils across the country have been asked to put forward proposals for reorganising two-tier areas by March.
Coun Geraghty said: “Without the postponement of elections, there will be a significant period where plans could not progress.”
