Starmer abandons plans to cancel local elections

Merged in 2027 …. If merged in 2026, there wouldn’t be an issue. Casdon

A lot of outrage on here from those who are probably Reform voters.

Farage brought this about and people need to be reminded that Reform are taking tens of thousands of pounds from Russia to spread disinformation.
We are in danger from Russia more than ever now and any party taking money and working for them is not working in the interests of the British people.

I think some of the background isn’t being discussed on this thread. The original proposals were for nine councils which are being merged in April 2026 to have their elections postponed, specifically because it meant they would otherwise be running two elections in one year. That proposal had been through both parliament and the Lords early least year, and I believe was a sensible proposal.

theworriedwell

nanna8

Don’t say anything against Saint Keir, you will get condemned on here. Seriously, the people on gransnet are about the only ones who like him. Dreadful PM. He should be the foreign minister, shouldn’t he ? Much more his sort of thing , I think he would do ok at that.

Are you joking? If you haven't noticed all the anti posts I think you need new glasses.

And- listen to any answers, any questions, question time or phone ins and you’ll find comments on gransnet reflected. Some anti Labour/starmer, some reminding of the mess they inherited, need for stability and good things the govt is doing

Polarised simplistic shouting butters bo parsnipsb

Sorry, postponment.

I dont think I needed the question mark on that post.

So you would let an illegal cancellation happen?

Yes let's waste lots of money and then we can moan about not enough money for the NHS, education, pot hikes or whatever. Double win.

Starmer acted illegally in cancelling the local elections according to Electoral Commission and we can't have that from the Prime Minister.

The problem is worriedwell there are very genuine reasons for whining and it makes not one iota of difference. One recent example is that I had to phone HMRC to discover whether Shipley or Cumbernauld took payment of my friend’s tax. Why on earth can’t HMRC give this most basic information in the very long letter it sends? It makes it much more expensive to pay additional staff to answer phone queries. And raises blood pressure!

theworriedwell

Marg75

No one should be denied their right to vote. The figure is about four & a half million people who would have been denied.

No one was being denied, what rubbish. There is reorganisation happening, these elections will just produce lameduck councillors who won't have time to do anything other than just keep things going till the reorganisation happens and we elect councillors who can get on and do something.

Have you ever worked in local government in n the run up to reorganisation? I have.

I have never agreed with a postponement not being a cancellation. On anything.

Of course they were denied.

ronib

From sorting out incontinence pads for the elderly, to paying HMRC as a POA, life in the UK just seems so ridiculously inefficient. It doesn’t surprise me that the government spouts inefficiency…. Just better get used to it?

It's what lots on here seem to want. God forbid anyone thinks "this is a waste of money, let's just wait for reorganisation and spend the election money on something positive.". Much more fun to whine about anything and everything.

Marg75

No one should be denied their right to vote. The figure is about four & a half million people who would have been denied.

No one was being denied, what rubbish. There is reorganisation happening, these elections will just produce lameduck councillors who won't have time to do anything other than just keep things going till the reorganisation happens and we elect councillors who can get on and do something.

Have you ever worked in local government in n the run up to reorganisation? I have.

nanna8

Don’t say anything against Saint Keir, you will get condemned on here. Seriously, the people on gransnet are about the only ones who like him. Dreadful PM. He should be the foreign minister, shouldn’t he ? Much more his sort of thing , I think he would do ok at that.

Are you joking? If you haven't noticed all the anti posts I think you need new glasses.

MartavTaurus

It seems to me that KS thought he could turn democracy off when it suited him.
You can't do that.

He was trying to act "illegally"?

I said on another thread, perhaps he would try and stop more elections.
Some guffawed.
Said we were not like the US.

mum2three

The very fact that there is not one single MP who is the obvious replacement when Starmer goes, says everything about this government.

It does.

But there again, I think the tories had the same problem?

All that the U turns have achieved, is to make Starmer more and more unpopular - with everyone. Of course with the opposition, especially with Farage, but also more and more unpopular with the electorate, and worse still, unpopular with those in his own party. They must be rolling their eyes at how ineffectual he is, and lacking in intuition.

KS appears to be an expert in changing his mind. We can safely say he is a master at this. It's like a plane coming into land, then suddenly changing direction. But, how many more times before the pilot spins out completely and crashes?

The very fact that there is not one single MP who is the obvious replacement when Starmer goes, says everything about this government.

Don’t say anything against Saint Keir, you will get condemned on here. Seriously, the people on gransnet are about the only ones who like him. Dreadful PM. He should be the foreign minister, shouldn’t he ? Much more his sort of thing , I think he would do ok at that.

Mollygo

^before anybody comes back with comments about U turns Boris Johnson made over 30 U turns between 2019 and 2022^
Is it a competition then?
I thought KS said it would be different. So if he makes fewer U-turns, that will be true.

Neither Johnson or Starmer spent time and listened to the relevant people before making grand announcements on another brainwave, all for it to come crashing down. Neither of them have an iota of solid judgement hence the U-turns.

From sorting out incontinence pads for the elderly, to paying HMRC as a POA, life in the UK just seems so ridiculously inefficient. It doesn’t surprise me that the government spouts inefficiency…. Just better get used to it?

How many U turns does that make it? 15?
While I agree that a wrong decision should be put right, this smacks of indecision at best.

Samsara1

Am I the only one here who voted for him and doesn't want him to go?

I did and I don't.

We need some stability at the moment. The U turns may not seem like stability but show he is listening although I wish he/they had more foresight than hindsight.

"And always keep a-hold of Nurse
For fear of finding something worse"

before anybody comes back with comments about U turns Boris Johnson made over 30 U turns between 2019 and 2022
Is it a competition then?
I thought KS said it would be different. So if he makes fewer U-turns, that will be true.

Yet another far-right Party started "Restore Britain". I wonder how many there will be by the time of the next election? Then there are the rumours about Nigel Farage's health ... A long time until the next election. How many parties will share the far-right vote ... and who will be there leaders?