Green Party Co-Leader Adrian Ramsay MP has responded to the news that local elections in a number of parts of England this May will cancelled saying: “It’s hard to think of anything more anti-democratic than cancelling elections ahead of a significant change in local democracy. It’s straight out of an authoritarian playbook.
“How can the Government claim an electoral mandate for these major changes if those most impacted see their elections cancelled?
“The Green Party is urging the Government to protect democracy, allow these long-planned elections to take place and get around the table with elected representatives of all parties to discuss how to make devolution work for people in local areas across the country.
“We want decisions closest to where they have the greatest impact with significant devolution of powers and funding from Westminster. That is the way to keep the vital connection between the politicians making decisions and those affected by them and avoid further alienation from the political process. The imposition of huge, remote councils against the will of local people would fly in the face of local democracy.”