The government says it is “setting a very high bar for delaying county council elections.”

Minister Jim McMahon was responding to an urgent question from a Tory shadow minister last Wednesday. The minister referred to the significant costs already incurred by councils that had prepared for the May elections.

Just so you know, Surrey’s leader, Tim Oliver, addressed the cabinet meeting a week ago and only mentioned the 2.5 million that would be saved by delaying the election—no mention of money already spent!

Mr McMahon said:

“It is sensible to take the approach that, if reorganisation is a genuine proposal – and the bar has to be high for that rest – it is nonsense to have elections to bodies that will simply not exist. It is far better that we move at pace and create the new unitary councils at the earliest opportunity,”

Surrey is among those who want to be in the first tranche.

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Mr McMahon said,

“We will consider these requests very carefully and postpone elections only where there is a clear commitment to delivering both reorganisation and devolution to the ambitious timetable set out. While not all areas listed will go forward in the priority programme, we are grateful for the local leadership shown in submitting these requests, and a decision will be made in due course as soon as possible.”