Cancelling elections is hardly anti-fascist

The Government’s decision to cancel local elections leaving 4.5 million people without a vote is a disgrace.

It is perhaps the largest disruption to the normal democratic processes of this country outside of wartime or a major pandemic. The move normalises the idea that the verdict of the electorate is an inconvenience to the good governance of the nation rather than an essential component of the same, and it is being conducted on a paper thin pretext.

The official rationale behind the decision is that the pending reorganisation of local government requires the full attention of participating councils, with elections for soon-to-be abolished areas an unnecessary distraction at a point of intensive work. This is utterly without merit.

The process of reorganisation involves councils putting forward detailed proposals for how it should be implemented: how assets, liabilities and debts should be divided between the new bodies. These proposals are made with the political approval of councillors. Given the significant implication for the finances of local authorities, and accordingly council tax rates, it is essential that those making these decisions are subject to democratic oversight.

Yet these delays mean that many councillors will make these choices years after their initial mandate has run out, in seats that they know they are on course to lose. Will they really exert their best effort in the interests of those they are meant to represent under these circumstances?

It is hard not to suspect that the real motive underlying the delays is the comprehensive battering Labour is set to face in May, and Sir Keir’s increasingly precarious position as party leader. With Andy Burnham potentially set to arrive in Westminster in the immediate aftermath of May’s election results, it is understandable that a weak Prime Minister might seek to shore his place against potential challenge.

Understandable, but not justifiable. When asked if she had told cabinet colleagues that a Nigel Farage-led government could turn fascist, Labour cabinet minister Lisa Nandy suggested that was indeed her view. Yet it is her own party which is engaged in cancelling elections seemingly in order to avoid awkward results.

Which party are we meant to believe is the real threat to democracy?

[Source: Daily Telegraph]