Labour Accused Of Axing Elections As Starmer ‘Runs Scared’

Labour Accused Of Axing Elections As Starmer ‘Runs Scared’

 

 

Labour is facing explosive accusations of undermining democracy after ministers opened the door to cancelling next May’s local elections in 63 councils, a move critics say is designed to shield Sir Keir Starmer from a looming voter backlash.

 

Under the plan, councils undergoing local government reorganisation will be allowed to postpone elections, potentially denying more than 10 million people a vote. Around half of the affected councils are Labour-run, prompting claims that the party is gaming the system to limit losses amid collapsing poll numbers.

 

In several areas, elections would be postponed for a second consecutive year, meaning some councillors could go seven years without facing voters. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage branded the move “banana republic stuff,” accusing Starmer of behaving like a “dictator.” Reform MP Lee Anderson dismissed the Prime Minister as “frit.”

 

The Conservatives piled on. Tory elections spokesman Sir James Cleverly said Labour was “running scared of the voters,” accusing ministers of “fiddling the democratic process” after already cancelling mayoral elections earlier this month. Former justice secretary Robert Jenrick warned the move carried “authoritarian hallmarks,” noting that even during the pandemic elections were not cancelled two years in a row.

 

Concerns were also raised beyond party politics. Richard Wright, chair of the District Councils Network, said breaking the normal four-year election cycle should happen only in “the most exceptional circumstances” and warned the plan risked undermining public faith in local democracy. The Electoral Commission has previously cautioned against postponing elections by more than 12 months.

 

Labour ministers insist the move is pragmatic, not political. A Downing Street spokesman said councils were struggling to manage elections while implementing Labour’s sweeping local government reorganisation, which will see dozens of councils abolished or merged into larger unitary authorities.

Local government minister Alison McGovern told MPs that running elections for bodies “that won’t shortly exist” would waste time and resources. She stressed that postponements would only happen where councils request them, adding: “Should a council say they have no reason to delay, there will be no delay.”

 

But opponents remain unconvinced. In the Commons, Tory spokesman Paul Holmes accused Labour of being afraid to face voters, quipping that while Britain watches festive films, Labour is trying to “steal the elections.” Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called it a “Labour and Conservative stitch-up” to deny voters their say.

 

With allies privately warning Starmer could face a leadership challenge if Labour performs badly in May, critics say the controversy reinforces a growing picture of a government willing to bend democratic norms to survive.

 

Key Takeaways

• Labour ministers have invited 63 councils to delay May elections, affecting over 10 million voters

• Critics accuse Keir Starmer of cancelling votes to avoid heavy Labour losses

• Opponents warn repeated delays risk serious damage to democratic trust