Tories must try to fight elections on local issues
IF the rollout of a vaccine goes to plan (and early signs are encouraging), it’s quite possible that, come the end of spring, life will be something back to normal.
That’s really important to cling on to this Christmas - not least as headlines are full of a return to National Lockdown and of the ‘mutant’ strain of Covid which is potentially going to spread from the South East.
Assuming we do return to some sort of normal by the spring - and lets not forget how ‘normal’ the summer felt for many of us in hindsight - then 2021 is likely to be a year with lots of local democracy in action.
Last May’s local elections for Rossendale Council were postponed due to the National lockdown, as was the election for a new police and crime commissioner.
Both will take place next May, all being well, while the full Lancashire County Council elections are also due to take place.
Whereas Rossendale elects a third of councillors every year three years out of four, Lancashire elects all county councillors in one sweep once every four years.
The rare confluence of borough elections, county election and police and crime commissioner elections in Rossendale makes it more important than ever for people to vote.
The question as ever will be whether local politicians can persuade people who don’t normally vote to turn out.
The Tories will be fighting to retain their control of the county council for a second consecutive term, while at the same time trying to win Rossendale Council for the first time in a decade.
They came tantilisingly close two elections ago, before Labour cemented their ownership of the borough council in 2019’s local elections.
More than anything, local Tories will need to try and make sure the local elections are fought on local issues.
Too often, local elections are treated by national media and politicians as a proxy for how people might vote in general elections. This is wrong, and undermines local democracy.
But with the Tories the party in power, and plenty of criticism being aimed at the Government for the handling of the pandemic, plus any fallout which may come from the completion of Brexit, the prospect of people voting locally to express a view on a national issue, will be a worry.
There are plenty of local borough council issues to chase: The empty homes scandal, which has now cost Rossendale Council £6m, from a starting prediction of £250k when the collapse of the home refurbishment scheme was announced, has very much happened on Labour’s watch.
The never-ending saga of the Spinning Point development, which has led to promises of hotels, shops, flats, spas and now will just be a refurbishment of the Town Square, also continues to cause concern.
But Labour can also point to securing funding for the regeneration of Bacup (although local Tories will also point to that being granted by a
Conservative businesses. government), plans to With just under five regenerate Haslingden, months until the election, and helping save Ski it seems a hard path for Rossendale and providing the Tories to win control support for the growth of of the council in the Whitaker Museum. Rossendale - if it can’t get
In Rawtenstall, its at least some of the 60% stewardship of the New who don’t vote in local Hall Hey shopping elections, out to the ballot development box.hasno doubt being a success. Months of social
And, indeed, it has distancing to come may successfully maintained make that challenge even services during a harder - but one they have pandemic and been a to overcome if they are to powerful voice for more stand a chance of winning support for local control of Futures Park.