Labour MPs have joined a chorus of fury at the Government’s election cancellations – which are set to hit more than 3.7 million voters across Britain.
Just two months ago, Local Government Secretary Steve Reed told members of his department’s Select Committee that elections would be going ahead in May as planned.
Mr Reed explicitly told committee members: “Where the elections are intended to go ahead, they will go ahead.
“Elections are going ahead. In all the areas where they were told they will be going ahead.”
But now, his own party’s MPs have accused him of misleading the Committee.
Some 28 councils, including 22 Labour-run authorities, have made applications for their elections to be postponed.
On Monday, Labour MPs labelled the Government’s decision “embarrassing” after using an urgent question put forward by Mr Reed’s shadow counterpart Sir James Cleverly to hit out at ministers.
Labour MP for Vauxhall & Camberwell Green – and chairwoman of the Committee – Florence Eshalomi, said it was “disappointing” that the Local Government Secretary previously assured MPs the elections would proceed.
Local Government Secretary Steve Reed has been accused of misleading MPs over the move
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PAShe said: “We find ourselves here in quite a disappointing area.
“The Minister highlighted just before Christmas the fact that councils were asked to delay this after the Secretary of State repeatedly told our select committee that this would be going ahead.
“We want people to vote. I am concerned we are seeing a postponement yet again.”
Meanwhile, veteran Labour backbencher Graham Stringer said: “As the former leader of a major council and a Labour MP, I find this completely embarrassing.
LABOUR CANCELS LOCAL ELECTIONS – READ MORE:
Florence Eshalomi said it was ‘disappointing’ that Mr Reed previously assured MPs the elections would proceed
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HOUSE OF COMMONS
“A Labour Government should not be taking the vote away from 3.7 million people. It is completely unprecedented for a Labour Government to do that.
“There is clearly a vested interest from some councillors who may feel, looking at the opinion polls, that they may lose their seat.
“Some of those councils will vote for delays. How will she distinguish between that motivation and whether there is really a lack of capacity to carry out the elections because I don’t believe any of those councils are unable to hold those elections.”
On Thursday, Mr Reed told GB News that allowing councils to cancel their elections was not “denying democracy”.
Mr Reed told GB News that allowing councils to cancel their elections is not ‘denying democracy’
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GB NEWSHe added: “It’s speeding up elections to the new councils that will replace the councils that are being that are being closed down. And I think that is sensible.”
The Labour Minister also clamed that it would save councils tens of millions of pounds that could be spent on fixing potholes.
But Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf told the People’s Channel the day prior that his party was ready to mount a judicial review in the High Court to try to force the Government to overrule the councils’ requests.
“Reform’s lawyers are coming at them with everything we’ve got,” he vowed.