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English local elections 2020/21, Currently due 6 May

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Suedehead2 View member profile	25th January 2021, 04:31 PM Post #1
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 April 2007 Posts: 36,668 User: 3,272	The current plan is for the local elections to be held as scheduled on 6 May. This will, in England, include this year's county elections as well as last year's district and Police And Crime Commissioner elections plus various Mayoral elections (including London) and the London Assembly. There are a lot of people arguing that they should be postponed, either by just a few weeks or until the autumn. As the government has had a full year to plan for Covid-safe elections, any further delay would be yet another admission of a failure to prepare. It gets worse, though. The government are proposing to ban the delivery of leaflets by party volunteers. They want to increase the spending limit to allow parties to pay for leaflets to be delivered instead. This will, of course, affect the Lib Dems and Greens far more than the Tories and Labour. Given the fact that the Tories will be publishing large leaflets every day (and calling them the Daily Mail, Express and Telegraph) and television news bulletins rarely mention anyone other than the Tories and Labour, leafletting is almost the only way for other parties to get their message across. This proposal, then, is a blatant attack on democracy. There is a separate thread on the elections in Scotland and Wales.


Suedehead2 View member profile	9th February 2021, 08:32 PM Post #2
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 April 2007 Posts: 36,668 User: 3,272	The government has confirmed that they expect the elections to go ahead in May and that voters will be expected to bring their own pen. They have also said that councillors can distribute leaflets at the moment but other candidates cannot. They have also said that leaflets from councillors should not be "overtly political". This must be news to virologists. Apparently political messages are far more likely to pass on the virus than non-political ones. Who knew? Call me cynical but I also suspect that an item in a leaflet mentioning the vaccine rollout with Johnson's name included will be considered non-political while any criticism of the government will count as political.


Doctor Blind View member profile	9th February 2021, 08:59 PM Post #3
#38BBE0 otherwise known as 'sky blue' Joined: 27 October 2008 Posts: 16,170 User: 7,561	QUOTE(Suedehead2 @ Feb 9 2021, 08:32 PM) The government has confirmed that they expect the elections to go ahead in May and that voters will be expected to bring their own pen. They have also said that councillors can distribute leaflets at the moment but other candidates cannot. They have also said that leaflets from councillors should not be "overtly political". This must be news to virologists. Apparently political messages are far more likely to pass on the virus than non-political ones. Who knew? Call me cynical but I also suspect that an item in a leaflet mentioning the vaccine rollout with Johnson's name included will be considered non-political while any criticism of the government will count as political. So in other words, only campaign and vote if you're in favour of the incumbent. Sounds like a good way to run a democracy....


Suedehead2 View member profile	9th February 2021, 09:31 PM Post #4
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 April 2007 Posts: 36,668 User: 3,272	Other leaflets can be produced but they will have to be delivered by post. That, of course, adds an additional cost which will be a lot harder for the Lib Dems and Greens to afford. Just to underline the imbalance, the 2021 elections are for county councils where the Tories are generally at their strongest. Well over half the seats on those councils are currently Tory. They are also comfortably the largest party in the seats up for grabs in the district elections held over from last year. Obviously some of those councillors will be stepping down but the incumbents (who won't have to pay for their leaflets to be delivered atm) will still be overwhelmingly Tory. The Lib Dems will have been looking for some decent gains in both sets of elections - having done poorly in both 2016 and 2017 - but these rules will make it a lot more difficult. As well as leaflets, the Lib Dems (and Greens) rely a lot more on door-to-door campaigning than the Tories and Labour. It looks like no such campaigning will be allowed.


Suedehead2 View member profile	23rd February 2021, 05:58 PM Post #5
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 April 2007 Posts: 36,668 User: 3,272	Elections in Cumbria, North Yorkshire and Somerset have been postponed until next year, supposedly to allow for consultation on reorganisation. Elections have been postponed for that reason before, but not two-and-a-half months before they were due.


Jacob- View member profile	24th February 2021, 01:18 PM Post #6
Jacob Alan~ Joined: 12 March 2015 Posts: 4,983 User: 21,664	QUOTE(Suedehead2 @ Jan 25 2021, 04:31 PM) It gets worse, though. The government are proposing to ban the delivery of leaflets by party volunteers. They want to increase the spending limit to allow parties to pay for leaflets to be delivered instead. This will, of course, affect the Lib Dems and Greens far more than the Tories and Labour. Given the fact that the Tories will be publishing large leaflets every day (and calling them the Daily Mail, Express and Telegraph) and television news bulletins rarely mention anyone other than the Tories and Labour, leafletting is almost the only way for other parties to get their message across. This proposal, then, is a blatant attack on democracy. QUOTE(Suedehead2 @ Feb 9 2021, 09:31 PM) Other leaflets can be produced but they will have to be delivered by post. That, of course, adds an additional cost which will be a lot harder for the Lib Dems and Greens to afford. Just to underline the imbalance, the 2021 elections are for county councils where the Tories are generally at their strongest. Well over half the seats on those councils are currently Tory. They are also comfortably the largest party in the seats up for grabs in the district elections held over from last year. Obviously some of those councillors will be stepping down but the incumbents (who won't have to pay for their leaflets to be delivered atm) will still be overwhelmingly Tory. The Lib Dems will have been looking for some decent gains in both sets of elections - having done poorly in both 2016 and 2017 - but these rules will make it a lot more difficult. As well as leaflets, the Lib Dems (and Greens) rely a lot more on door-to-door campaigning than the Tories and Labour. It looks like no such campaigning will be allowed. My Dad's standing for Lib Dems in local elections and he used to hand deliver hundreds of leaflets, he was describing this exact issue to me last time we spoke. Leaflets are still allowed but only via post, not via volunteers, meaning Tories can afford the postage for thousands of leaflets far better than other parties can.


Smint View member profile	2nd March 2021, 11:02 PM Post #7
BuzzJack Gold Member Joined: 21 February 2021 Posts: 3,553 User: 124,514	Who are people voting for? I’m probably going Green for first time in life and they do well in my part of the world, Bristol. Starmer is too cautious and Swinson put me off the LDs. This post has been edited by Smint: 2nd March 2021, 11:19 PM


Doctor Blind View member profile	3rd March 2021, 01:46 AM Post #8
#38BBE0 otherwise known as 'sky blue' Joined: 27 October 2008 Posts: 16,170 User: 7,561	QUOTE(Smint @ Mar 2 2021, 11:02 PM) Who are people voting for? I’m probably going Green for first time in life and they do well in my part of the world, Bristol. Starmer is too cautious and Swinson put me off the LDs. Right now I have absolutely no idea. The state of the Labour party at the moment, conceding ground to the Tories by allowing them to suddenly change from 'the laffer curve' omg we can't raise corporation tax it doesn't work to oh yeah of course we'll raise corporation tax from one of the lowest ( in a large nation state) to raise revenue, of course and Starmer responds with the limp (despite overwhelming public support) 'now is not the time'. I mean...


Suedehead2 View member profile	10th April 2021, 04:36 PM Post #9
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 April 2007 Posts: 36,668 User: 3,272	The Monster Raving Loony Party are fielding 13 candidates in Kingston-upon-Thames - all in the same ward.


Brett-Butler View member profile	10th April 2021, 10:27 PM Post #10
Howdy, disco citizens Joined: 16 January 2010 Posts: 12,775 User: 10,455	Total candidates running for each party are as follows - This doesn’t include by-elections, which is why the 13 the Loonies that are running in Kingston aren’t included in their total.


Brett-Butler View member profile	10th April 2021, 10:37 PM Post #11
Howdy, disco citizens Joined: 16 January 2010 Posts: 12,775 User: 10,455	Some random observations about some of the minor parties running - TUSC have managed to get quite a lot of candidates running - they ran 100+ candidates in the 2015 General Election and didn't save a a single deposit. They more or less folded into Corbynite Labour after that, and are now active again. They seem to be quite well funded to get so many candidates in a short space of time, but I think they'll be losing a lot more deposits again, would be surprised to see them win any seats. Both the continuity Liberals and continuity SDP are running for councils. The Liberals still have a fair few councilors, the SDP do not. I can't see the SDP winning any seats despite running double the candidates, the Liberals will probably hold on to many of the seats they have; a lot of the seats they're fighting for are in Liverpool from what I can see. Will be interesting to see what appetite there is for the continuity Farage party (Reform UK) has post Farage (prediction - hardly any), and and if UKIP will lose all their remaining councilors that were elected in 2016/17 (quite likely). Will also look out for the Freedom Alliance, who are running an impressive 94 candidates for a party that's barely a year old that's essentially a single-issue anti-lockdown party. I can't see much future for a party whose raison d'etre will likely be moot come election time, or not too long after it.


Steve201 View member profile	10th April 2021, 10:53 PM Post #12
Shakin Stevens Joined: 29 December 2007 Posts: 46,150 User: 5,138	What’s the difference between the continuity Liberals and the tories in 2021?


Suedehead2 View member profile	11th April 2021, 07:58 AM Post #13
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 April 2007 Posts: 36,668 User: 3,272	There are no deposits in local elections.


Suedehead2 View member profile	11th April 2021, 08:00 AM Post #14
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 April 2007 Posts: 36,668 User: 3,272	QUOTE(steve201 @ Apr 10 2021, 11:53 PM) What’s the difference between the continuity Liberals and the tories in 2021? Ask them, but be prepared for a barrage of abuse.


Steve201 View member profile	11th April 2021, 01:00 PM Post #15
Shakin Stevens Joined: 29 December 2007 Posts: 46,150 User: 5,138	The tories are basically Gladstonian Liberals these days


Iz 🌟 View member profile	5th May 2021, 10:14 AM Post #16
I'm a paragon so don't perceive me Joined: 3 February 2011 Posts: 37,417 User: 12,929	Considering these are tomorrow and most of the country has at least one election going on, who is planning to vote for your local? As an outsider I'm just very keen to add in a load of potential conclusions to draw, but this of course has potentially more effect on people's lives than Westminster votes, look out for council swings.


ElectroBoy View member profile	6th May 2021, 09:25 AM Post #17
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 26 February 2007 Posts: 14,288 User: 3,002	I had 3 things to vote for in my area.... Parish and County Council and Crime Commisioner Also voted a bit across the board Parish had 2 options, so voted Lib Dem County Council, voted Green Crime - 1st choice Labour, 2nd choice Lib Dem


Steve201 View member profile	6th May 2021, 12:26 PM Post #18
Shakin Stevens Joined: 29 December 2007 Posts: 46,150 User: 5,138	What’s the difference between a parish and council election?


Botchia View member profile	6th May 2021, 02:29 PM Post #19
I Drink Wine Joined: 12 April 2015 Posts: 10,485 User: 21,753	For West Midlands Mayor, I voted 1st pref Green and 2nd pref Labour. For PCC, I voted Lib Dems 1st pref and 2nd pref Labour (Greens did not field a candidate). (I hope all the Londoners are voting for Binface )


Suedehead2 View member profile	6th May 2021, 04:13 PM Post #20
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 13 April 2007 Posts: 36,668 User: 3,272	QUOTE(steve201 @ May 6 2021, 01:26 PM) What’s the difference between a parish and council election? Parish councils are a lot smaller, covering a town or even a village, and have very limited powers. Most areas don't have one. Other councils (in England) can be county councils, district councils or unitary councils. In the past, most places had both a district council (covering, typically, a town or city and the surrounding area) and a county council (guess what that covered?). Successive governments have decided that we have far too many elected representatives (even though we have fewer relative to population than any other western democracy) and have gradually moved towards unitary authorities. That means that people may have to travel significant distances to get to their "local" town hall even in relatively densely populated areas and that planning applications can be determined by people who have never been anywhere near the relevant site.