Leaflet ban is lacking logic

I was asked recently by one of our volunteer Lib Dem Focus leaflet deliverers in Walton, why he had not been given any leaflets to deliver recently.

I told him that the Government has ruled that it is not safe to deliver political leaflets during the pandemic: but it is apparently safe for pizza companies to continue to deliver their leaflets. Maybe it is good to be cautious but I am not sure I see the logic of the

Government’s “guidance”.

What makes things more worrying though is last week’s Government announcement that local elections are to go ahead in early May. It is good in a democracy to have elections but they need to be free and fair and that means candidates and political parties being able to communicate with voters through leaflets and through personal contact.

It may be that current restrictions will be significantly relaxed before May but it seems unlikely that everyone will have had Covid vaccinations by then, so I cannot see how it will be possible for candidates to safely knock on doors and speak to voters.

It could be that the Conservatives see political advantage for them in holding elections under these circumstances. But having elections where parties and candidates are unable to campaign is something we expect to see in places like Russia or Zimbabwe

and not here in the UK. I think it would be far better to postpone the elections until the Autumn when we all hope things will be back to something closer to normality.

Nick Sandford Lib Dem councillor for

Paston and Walton