Avoiding local elections is politically convenient for the Conservatives, but wrong for Hampshire
Hampshire’s Liberal Democrat MPs, Liz Jarvis MP, Danny Chambers MP, and Alex Brewer MP call on Hampshire County Council to reject plans to cancel local elections scheduled for 2025 in response to the English Devolution White Paper.
Local Government Minister Jim McMahon wrote to leaders of county and district councils in two tier authorities on December 16th, asking them to give a “clear commitment” to devolution and reorganisation on or before January 10th, including granting extraordinary powers to postpone local elections.
Hampshire County Council will meet on January 9th for an Extraordinary County Council meeting to propose a future direction of local government across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
In a joint statement, the three MPs wrote:
“We call on Hampshire’s Conservatives to reject these undemocratic proposals, allowing the county’s residents to have their say on Hampshire’s future in May 2025, as planned."
“Decisions on local government reorganisation are some of the most impactful for our communities. Local government is often the face of our town and villages - providing homes, jobs, and basic public services like roads and greenspaces. These complex decisions should be taken with an up-to-date mandate. The idea that councillors last elected in 2021 should have the final say, years after their mandate has expired, is deeply undemocratic and an erosion of accountability in our politics."
“Hampshire County Council is facing a substantial budget shortfall of at least £175 million and has slashed services across our communities in the last year. Regardless of the process of local government reorganisation, residents throughout the county deserve the opportunity to scrutinize the disastrous record of Hampshire’s Conservative leadership during the last 27 years and hold their elected representatives to account."
“Avoiding the electorate this May might be politically convenient for Conservative County Councillors, but it is wrong for Hampshire."
“Democratic decision making must be at the heart of this process - not a victim of it.”