Bid to reverse postponement of local elections defeated in the Lords
In a rare move, two so-called fatal motions were proposed by the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party in the upper chamber.
Efforts to reverse the suspension of local elections in England have been defeated in the House of Lords.
Nine councils have had their elections delayed by one year while the Government reorganises local government.
In a rare move, two so-called fatal motions were proposed by the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party in the upper chamber, in a bid to keep local elections scheduled for this May.
The postponement of elections was described as “anti-democratic” by the Liberal Democrats, before peers voted 63 to 163, majority 100, to defeat the party’s fatal motion.
Speaking in the chamber, local government minister Baroness Taylor of Stevenage defended the decision to delay elections, arguing it would “help to smooth the transition process” for those areas going through a process of reorganisation.
Elections have been postponed across East Sussex, West Sussex, Essex and Thurrock, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Suffolk and Surrey.
Liberal Democrat peer Baroness Pinnock, who tabled the motion, said: “Why has the Government agreed to such an anti-democratic measure?”
She added: “The option that does not seem to have been considered was to delay the elections until June. Now, that has occurred in the recent past on more than two occasions.
“And that would accommodate both the need to consult and to enable a new mandate to be given to decision makers.”
Following the defeat, Lady Pinnock said: “This just confirms what we already knew – that Conservative councils are running scared, as they know their time is up. Up and down the country, voters are calling for change, and the Conservatives know this.
“Democracy delayed is democracy denied. For every community who are being denied the chance to vote this May, the Liberal Democrats will continue to stand up for them as their local champions.”
Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb had withdrawn her fatal motion earlier in the session.
Prior to this, the Green Party peer described the cancellation of some of this year’s elections as “straight out of an authoritarian playbook”.
Lady Moulsecoomb added: “This rushed decision means that voters won’t have the chance to have their say on new councillors for at least a year, that means that the councils that have delayed elections don’t actually have a mandate to do the reorganisation that the Government is asking it to do.”
Responding on behalf of the Government, Lady Taylor, herself a former council leader, said: “We have been clear on our vision for a simpler, more sustainable local government structure alongside transfer of power and funding out of Westminster through a devolution process.
“And we have been clear on our willingness to take all the appropriate steps needed to deliver this vision.”
Describing it as a “once-in-a-generation reform”, she added: “We will not miss the opportunity to deliver the benefits as quickly as possible so we have taken this step to help those areas who have expressed their firm commitment to deliver it in the most ambitious timeframe.
“We were also clear that we would take decisions to postpone local elections where this will help to smooth the transition process.”
She warned support for the fatal motions would “throw areas into chaos” and have “serious constitutional and practical consequences”.
Lady Taylor added: “The motions undermine the convention of the primacy of the Commons and the principle of delegated powers which have been given in primary legislation granted here (in Parliament) and have been previously used in this way.”
She went on: “It’s these motions, not the order they object to, that are damaging to local democracy.”
Conservative frontbencher Baroness Scott of Bybrook had tabled a regret motion, which would not stop or amend legislation, but does aim to signify members’ dissent.
This was also defeated, with peers voting 139 to 152, majority 13.
