Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has claimed Anna Turley has “total contempt for democracy” after the Labour Party Chairwoman was accused of refusing to rule out delaying the next general election.
Ms Turley, who is facing a challenge in her Redcar seat from Reform UK, struggled to confirm whether the next national poll would get the go-ahead if substantial constitutional changes were made to the House of Lords.
Fears arose about the next general election after Sir Keir Starmer invited more than 60 local authorities to postpone elections slated for May next year.
When asked to rule out delaying the next general election, Ms Turley told Sky News: “The reality is we’re moving to unitary councils, there’s a huge restructuring of local government and it’s really difficult for them to manage that alongside running elections as well.
“We’ve got a huge programme of elections this May, but the reality is while we’re undertaking the biggest restructuring in a generation it’s really important we give councils the capacity to do this so they don’t keel over.”
When asked if Sir Keir’s manifesto pledge to abolish hereditary peers could necessitate a delay, Ms Turley again failed to answer.
However, Ms Turley insisted general elections “always come at the decision of the Prime Minister and that’s the reality of the process we have in this country”.
“I’m looking forward to spending the next couple of years setting out our programme for reform and delivering for the country,” the Redcar MP added.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has claimed Anna Turley has ‘total contempt for democracy’
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Mr Farage delivered his verdict on Ms Turley’s comments just a few hours later.
“Labour chair Anna Turley has total contempt for democracy,” the Reform UK leader said.
However, Ms Turley later clarified her position, pointing out the date for the next general is set in stone.
“There’s no change to the General Election,” the Labour Party Chairwoman told Times Radio.
“The law is very clear: we will have a General Election by 2029.
“That won’t change. I’m not quite sure where he was going with that I’m afraid. I’m a big fan of Trevor but I think there was some confusion there. There’s absolutely no change to the General Election.”
She added: “The General Election is there, it’s set in law. It will happen. There’s no doubt about that.”
Mr Farage has been outspoken about plans to cancel local election contests across England following a separate set of delays in May this year.
A Reform-made petition against delaying local elections has already received more than 130,000 signatures.
Anna Turley (right) refused to rule out delaying the next general election
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The Clacton MP last year compared Sir Keir to Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe and warned Britain is slowly becoming a “banana republic”.
However, Mr Farage has also blasted Tory leader Kemi Badenoch after a number of Conservative-run councils hinted at requesting a delay.
He said: “Turkeys don’t vote for Christmas. Tory County Councils look set to collude with Labour to keep their control until 2027.
“Only a banana republic bans elections, that’s what we have under Starmer.
“Kemi Badenoch must instruct her council leaders to allow elections to go ahead.”
Sir Keir Starmer is inviting local authorities to yet again delay contests slated for next May
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Mrs Badenoch has voiced her frustration with Labour postponing the contests but will not overrule Tory-run councils in favour of a delay.
Meanwhile, Ms Turley’s comments about the next general election come as MPs prepare to debate holding an immediate national poll after Christmas.
A Westminster Hall debate will take place on January 12 after more than one million Britons signed the petition calling for a general election.
Despite MPs being given the opportunity to debate the petition, it is incredibly unlikely that Britons will go to the polls anytime soon.
Kemi Badenoch is also under pressure over the response from Tory-run councils
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The Dissolution & Calling of Parliament Act restored the Prime Minister’s ability to call a General Election via the Royal Prerogative.
A no-confidence motion could theoretically force a General Election, although the composition of the Commons makes such a scenario incredibly unlikely.
The last time a Prime Minister was defeated in a confidence vote came in 1979, when James Callaghan lost by one vote ahead of Margaret Thatcher’s first General Election victory.
Sir Keir could wait until the last possible moment to call the next general election, which is constitutionally slated for August 15, 2029.