Everybody out!
Council moves to all-out elections every four years from May
ROSSENDALE Council elections will be held just once every four years, with all seats in every ward contested, councillors have decided.
The change will start this May, but will be monitored and can be reviewed. Supporters say change will boost long-term stability, understanding and confidence; also ease public confusion about elections and save money.
However, others say the current phased system is more-responsive to public opinion year-to-year and can handle unexpected events such as byelections.
The move will end the current phased cycle when one-third of council seats are contested over three out of four years. And it represents a U-turn by some councillors who previously voted to keep the current system.
Change was backed at the latest full Rossendale Council meeting.
It came after updated information and consultations this year. In total, 155 people responded. Of them, 52 per cent backed a move to wholecouncil elections and just under 44 per cent preferred the existing system. The remainder had no preference
Labour Coun Adrian Lythgoe put forward recommendations for change.
He said: “We’re looking to move to whole-council elections from May. Following that, we would make differences to Whitworth Town Council and change the council constitution.
“Public consultation was held on this previously but it did not really capture public interest. My personal reason to support change is that it will provide long-term planning, stability and decision-making rather than getting bogged-down in elections and sometimes petty opposition arguments. And an election every four years would be a greater event and expand public interest.”
However, Green Party Coun Julie Adshead disagreed. She said: “In the 19th Century, parliament was petitioned for the basic elements of democracy. These were one vote for every man over 21 in secret ballots, payment for MPs so property ownership was not relevant, and one-year parliaments. Only one of these was unfulfilled regarding one-year parliaments.
“In Rossendale, we usually vote once a year. A lot can happen in four years. An annual election means the public can hold the council to account. It makes sure the council listens to the public and can send messages to Westminster.
“Reasons such as ‘election fatigue’, low voter turn-out and election costs are given for moving to four-year elections. Of course, a long-term view should be taken and it’s incumbent for councillors to work together for the best outcome. I don’t think these are issues here.
“I believe it would fail the public if we moved to elections every four years. These recommendations for four-year elections stem from arguments 20 years ago, which were not taken-up by the government.”
Regarding costs, she added: “I understand the desire to save money and the current financial situation. But I firmly believe democracy should never be compromised for financial reasons. My primary argument is to maintain the democratic process. We are losing it in many ways. “
Conservative Coun Alan Woods said: “It was only 18 months ago since we last debated this. Then, some Labour councillors spoke against it and for keeping phased elections. Why the change now?”
He added: “Coun Lythgoe raised key points about low public engagement in the survey, which cannot be deemed to be conclusive.
“We have a long-term council plan. I’m not sure political infighting hampers it. I don’t see that elections influence it. I still support moving to a four-year cycle for the reasons we said 18 months ago.”
Community First Coun Alan Neal said: “We did not have some of this information 18 months ago and the greater rationale for this. I didn’t support this 18 months ago but I will now.
“To me, it does not matter whether we have elections once a year or every four years. The biggest problem is having people [officials or staff] sitting in polling stations for 17 hours on election days. It seems silly.
“Everybody now has a National Insurance number. There must be a way – and there is a way – for people to vote by entering a secure number. I have never seen the sense of the current polling station system.
“Back in 2002, we did go for all-out elections. But then we went back to annual elections. It didn’t make much sense.
“Today, we have the technology. We need to use it. I want everyone to have the vote – and everyone to have the opportunity to vote.”
Labour’s Andy MacNae supported moving to four-year elections.
But he added: “This debate must be about what’s best for residents. Also I believe many arguments about election confusion and interruptions would become redundant if we moved away from the two-tier borough and county council system. The best thing we could have is a singletier unitary authority.”
Conservative Coun Anne Cheetham reflected on history and change. She said: “When I first voted, the first week of May was dedicated to staggered elections. Different council elections were on different days. Polling was from midday to 6pm. Then they went straight into the count. It was very civilised.”
She said society, councils and public expectations had changed greatly over time. People had also fought for votes and democracy. Local government reforms in 1974 had brought in new boundaries and councils including Rossendale. The 50th anniversary is this year. Some people disagreed with the 1974 changes.
But she emphasised: “We must always remember we achieve much more by working together.”
Labour’s Patrick Marriott queried some arguments for change and said the council needed to be aware of the impact of having fewer councillors in future.
He said: “We’ve had stable Labour control for 13 years, so the thirds system maintains stability. But with the fall to 30 councillors, there could be more by-elections to maintain political control?
“We’ve lost a few councillors recently and could have had four byelections this year. So there could be uncertainty with by-elections in future. One-third elections provide stability and you know how much things will cost, which is valuable in itself.”
A LIST of candidates have been revealed for the election next month.
Elections will be held to elect 30 councillors for Rossendale Borough Council on Thursday, May 2.
The borough had undergone a ward boundary review by the Local Government Boundary Commission, which resulted in the number of wards being reduced from 14 to 10 and councillors from 36 to 30.
Following the review the council are now required to hold all-out elections in every new ward and voters will be able to vote for up to three candidates.
Three councillors will be elected in each of the following wards: Bacup, Britannia and Lee Mill, Goodshaw and Cribden, Greenfield and Eden, Hareholme and Waterfoot, Haslingden, Helmshore, Longholme, Whitewell and Stacksteads and Whitworth.
Rossendale Borough Council was run by the Labour Party before last year’s election and following it.
Last year, Labour scooped 22 seats while the Conservatives secured nine. Independents got four and the Greens claimed one seat.
An election to elect a Police and Crime Commissioner for Lancashire will also be held on the same day.
Nomination papers for the Police and Crime Commissioner election are available from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.
Photo ID is required at polling stations before a vote can be cast.
Acceptable forms of ID include passports, driving licences, Older or Disabled Person’s bus passes, Oyster 60+ cards and more.
Anyone registered to vote without the correct ID - or who no longer looks like their photo - can apply for a free document known as a Voter Authority Certificate.
To apply visit The Electoral Commission’s website.
The deadline to apply before the May elections is Wednesday, April 24.
Applications to register to vote must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by midnight on April 16.
Applications can be made online at www. gov.uk/register-to-vote
The nominated candidates for the local elections for Rossendale Borough Council are:
●●Bacup
Helen Bauld (Green)
Daniel Brogan (Green)
Dympna Bull (Green)
Judith Driver (Labour)
Jimmy Eaton (Labour)
David Hancock (Labour)
Jayde Susanna Holmes (Conservative) Deborah Lord (Conservative)
●●Britannia and Lee Mill
Danielle Ashworth (Labour)
James Delargy (Green)
Joanne Jackson (Green)
Jenny Rigby (Conservative) Michelle Smith (Labour)
Alex Vijatov (Green)
Andrew Walmsley (Labour)
Robert George Wells (Conservative)
●●Goodshaw and Cribden
Maureen Anderson (Green)
Alyson Barnes (Labour)
Greg Bleakley (Labour)
Tony Cope (Conservative)
Ingrid Falat (Green)
Jonathan Charles Laurence Foxcroft (Conservative)
Christine Gill (Labour)
David Goodwin (Green)
John Greenwood (Conservative)
●●Greenfield and Eden
Anne Cartner Cheetham (Conservative) Sharon Green (Green)
Gillian Hewitt (Green)
Simon Holland (Conservative)
Christian Lee (Conservative)
Neil Looker (Labour)
Nick Pilling (Labour)
Jacob Rorke (Green)
●●Hareholme and Waterfoot
Chris Adams (Green)
Tom Belli (Labour)
Sara Bird (Green)
Elliot Green (Green)
Nick Harris (Labour)
Matthew Littler (Conservative) Barbara Marriott (Conservative) Annie McMahon (Labour) Kenneth Slaughter (Conservative)
●●Haslingden
Hazel Armor (Green)
Ken Booth (Conservative) Katrina Brockbank (Green) Toby Cheetham (Conservative) Ann Kenyon (Labour)
Adrian Lythgoe (Labour) Marilyn Procter (Labour) Kamran Shah (Green)
●●Helmshore
Samara Barnes (Labour) Geoff Blow (Green)
Jean Duckworth (Green) Chich Hewitt (Green)
Ann Hodgkiss (Conservative) Ann McIntyre (Labour)
Caroline Snowden (Conservative) Alan Woods (Conservative)
●●Longholme
Mohammed Abdullah (Conservative) Terry Bird (Green)
Elaine Brignall (Conservative)
Harold Duckworth (Green)
Samantha Harrison (Labour)
Rosie Jones (Green)
Liz McInnes (Labour)
Matt Norton (Labour)
Margaret Jane Pendlebury (Conservative)
●●Whitewell and Stacksteads
Julie Adshead (Green)
Bob Bauld (Green)
Jan Brindley (Conservative)
John Howard Lowe (Conservative) Jackie Oakes (Labour)
John Payne (Green)
Marie Rolli (Labour)
David Bryan Watson (Conservative) Gill Windwood (Labour)
●●Whitworth
Caitlin Chippendale (Labour) Vivienne Hall (Green)
Alan Neal (Community First)
Andrew Ovens (Green)
Mike Royds (Community First)
Paul Shellard (Green)
Scott Smith (Conservative)
Janet Marie Whitehead (Independent)
The following people have been or stand nominated for election as a Police and Crime Commissioner for the Lancashire Police Area: Neil Darby (Liberal Democrat)
Clive Grunshaw (Labour)
Andrew Snowden (Conservative)