00:00There is growing public outrage over Labour's decision to delay
00:05local elections, a move that will affect millions of voters.
00:10This has sparked fierce political debate. Ministers insist the pause is necessary to
00:15allow changes to local government structures, but critics say cancelling elections
00:20even temporarily risks damaging trust in the democratic process.
00:25The argument put by the government for delaying elections in certain parts of the country is...
00:30There's going to be a change in the administration. What that would mean is that we'd have a...
00:35elections this year and then another couple of years when there has been a reorganisation, you have to go again.
00:40So, ostensibly, it's argued on the basis that it's a... it would be a...
00:45waste of money. So, what it does mean, of course, is that we have councillors who sort of get an extra couple of years.
00:50On the sort of base of what we believe will happen. But, of course, the optics are terrible.
00:55Now, if this was a government that was riding high in the opinion polls, they'd probably be able to get away with this.
01:00The fact is that sort of the current Labour government are not high in the opinion polls, quite the contrary.
01:05So, what this is seen as a sort of a scared tactic that they want to sort of...
01:10reduce their losses as much as possible.
01:13And it doesn't matter...
01:15about the sort of the rationale. People see this as their sort of...
01:18their democratic right is being undermined.
01:20I suspect that we'll probably get to some sort of compromise, although the time ticks by...
01:25it's going to become very difficult, but undoubtedly for sort of Keir Starmer, it's not good.
01:30added, of course, to the fact that he's not willing to allow a certain Andy Burnham to run.
01:35It gives the sort of the sense that this is a Prime Minister who is...
01:39to use that wonderful word...
01:40Frit, you know, he's worried about what the consequences may be.
01:44And I don't think...
01:45he's going to help his...
01:46his...
01:47his stature and authority...
01:49in the slide...
01:50and all it does, it gives plenty of ammunition to the opposition.
01:53And, of course, the opposition most particularly...
01:55are the Civil Reform UK led by a certain Nigel Farage.
01:58For many voters...
01:59the...
02:00the issue is simple.
02:01Local elections are one of the few chances for people to hold...
02:05those in power directly to account.
02:07Under the government's plans...
02:08elections due...
02:09this...
02:10this year in parts of England will be postponed...
02:13as councils prepare for reorganisation.
02:15Labour says this avoids confusion...
02:18and saves money in the long run.
02:20But opponents argue it leaves millions without a vote...
02:23and fuels claims the party...
02:25is running scared of challenges...
02:27including Reform UK.
02:29Ministers...
02:30reject that...
02:31saying the delays are about stability and reform...
02:33not political advantage.
02:35and that elections will be held...
02:37once the new structures are in place.
02:39I...
02:40suspect...
02:41that's sort of what the Labour government still hope...
02:43there's probably sort of three years...
02:44till the sort of next election...
02:45in 2029...
02:46I...
02:47strongly predict...
02:48and...
02:49suggest...
02:50that it will...
02:50sort of run...
02:51as late as possible...
02:52maybe not July...
02:53but certainly sort of...
02:54May or June...
02:55and there...
02:55therefore...
02:56of course...
02:57they hope...
02:58that some sort of miracle...
02:59happens...
03:00which makes them look better...
03:00indeed...
03:01there are...
03:02things happening beneath the surface...
03:03which indicate...
03:04that they have...
03:05the financial situation...
03:06may get better...
03:07and indeed...
03:08perhaps Starmer...
03:09if you're to give him...
03:10any sort of...
03:10leeway at all...
03:11and let's face it...
03:12he's had a sort of...
03:13a lot of problems...
03:14on his plate...
03:15not...
03:15the least of which...
03:16of course...
03:17is a certain sort of...
03:18Donald Trump...
03:19of course...
03:20features and everything...
03:21which of course...
03:20has changed...
03:21the political...
03:22or the geopolitical...
03:23landscape...
03:24across the world...
03:25and that's impacted...
03:25upon what happens...
03:26here in this country...
03:27so Starmer...
03:28is probably spending...
03:29far more time...
03:30at the country...
03:30than he'd prefer to...
03:31but hey...
03:32that's the sort of...
03:33the nature of Prime Minister...
03:34you have to deal...
03:35with events...
03:36unless...
03:35face it...
03:36of course...
03:37that this is a government...
03:38that only got in...
03:39on about 20%...
03:40of the sort of...
03:40the actual votes...
03:41of course...
03:42it won a sort of...
03:43a landslide...
03:44but it was loveless...
03:45because of the sort of...
03:45the nature...
03:46of the electoral system...
03:47so it didn't come in...
03:48on sort of...
03:49huge amount...
03:50in the...
03:50in the first place...
03:51so...
03:52therein lies the problem...
03:53While Labour insists...
03:54the delays are...
03:5510%...
03:55temporary...
03:56and necessary...
03:57to modernise...
03:58local government...
03:59and improve...
04:00how councils...
04:00work...
04:01critics argue...
04:02pausing elections...
04:03even briefly...
04:04risks...
04:05undermining...
04:06democratic...
04:07accountability...
04:08the wider question...
04:09now...
04:10electoral reform...
04:11justifies...
04:12asking voters...
04:13to wait...
