The Guardian view on delayed elections: make democracy a priority
When voting was placed on hold due to the pandemic, it did not attract much attention. The English local elections due to be held in May were postponed in March. Mayors of big cities including London, Manchester and Liverpool were to have been up for reelection, along with thousands of councillors and 40 police and crime commissioners (including four in Wales). Ed Davey, acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, challenged the decision to postpone the elections for a year rather than the six months recommended by the Electoral Commission. But the issue slipped from view, buried by the ever-more alarming news about coronavirus.
Three months on, and with the lockdown easing, it deserves another look. South Koreans went to the polls with distancing and hygiene measures in April. Other countries where elections were delayed, such as France, are now going ahead, with the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, expected to win a second term. But while the UK government has pushed on with reopening schools and businesses in defiance of warnings about continued health risks, elections appear not to inspire the same urgency.
The decision taken by ministers was understandable. Limiting the delay to six months would have meant elections in November, when evenings are short and campaigning more difficult. Autumn could bring a new wave of infections. But the decision to defer until 2021 has had consequences. Last month, the former Conservative leadership contender and independent candidate for the London mayoralty, Rory Stewart, pulled out on the grounds that he could not afford to continue. Elsewhere, council seats have been left vacant following resignations, leading in at least one case to a majority administration losing control.
From a party-political perspective, it remains to be seen whose interests this election timing will serve. If the government’s handling of the pandemic is under the microscope a year from now, then Labour could benefit (for example, in the West Midlands, where the current mayor is Andy Street, a Conservative). Traditionally, voters use local elections to send messages to Westminster. If they are dissatisfied, the government is likely to suffer. But overall, the situation does nothing for the status of local government. When elections can be put off with so little discussion of alternatives, such as the feasibility of a switch to postal or electronic voting, there is a risk that they are made to seem unimportant.
It will take time to assess how well councils have coped during the pandemic. With their role in adult social care largely whittled down to that of commissioners, they are not responsible for care homes in the same way that the NHS is responsible for hospitals. Nor can the chaos surrounding schools be laid at their feet. Information about how vulnerable and looked-after children have fared has yet to emerge.
A decade of cuts has caused enormous damage. But while English local government lacks autonomy by contrast with its European or US counterparts, it remains a crucial counterweight to an over-mighty centre. As the country emerges from lockdown, and activities such as shopping and sports resume, voting should not be left until last. Democrats are entitled to choose their representatives.