What do Suffolk councillors say about elections being back on?

21 hours ago

Vikki IrwinSuffolk

In January, 60 protesters gathered outside Endeavour House calling for elections to go ahead in May

Jamie Niblock/BBC A group of about 60 people standing in front of a glass building holding placards and protesting. The placards feature both Reform UK and Green Party logos/colours — In January, 60 protesters gathered outside Endeavour House calling for elections to go ahead in May

Elections for two local authorities are now back on for May after they were postponed at the start of the year.

In January, Suffolk County Council and Ipswich Borough Council responded to a government request to say they would struggle to deliver local government reorganisation if elections in May went ahead.

This led the government to delay elections for 30 councils, but on Monday a Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) spokesperson said: "Following legal advice, the government has withdrawn its original decision to postpone 30 local elections in May."

So how do local politicians feel about this latest decision?

Councils experiencing 'whiplash'

Suffolk County Council leader Matthew Hicks says there is a "question mark over the government's wider agenda for devolution and local government reorganisation"

Vikki Irwin/BBC Matthew Hicks is standing in a bright atrium, with a tree in the background. He is wearing a blue suit, a white and blue striped shirt and blue patterned tie. He is wearing glasses and smiling at the camera. — Suffolk County Council leader Matthew Hicks says there is a "question mark over the government's wider agenda for devolution and local government reorganisation"

Matthew Hicks, the leader of the Conservative-run Suffolk County Council, said: "Local councils across the country are experiencing whiplash as major government decisions shift repeatedly and without warning.

"This uncertainty makes it almost impossible to plan effectively, deliver stability for residents, or provide clarity for our staff and partners.

"There is now a significant question mark over the government's wider agenda for devolution and local government reorganisation."

All 75 seats are up for election at the authority.

Democracy is not an 'inconvenience'

Andrew Stringer, Green Party councillor and leader of the opposition group, says it is a relief elections are going ahead at Suffolk County Council

Vikki Irwin/BBC Andrew Stringer is wearing glasses and has a beard. He has a grey suit on and is wearing a green tie. He is standing in a building with lots of glass walls. — Andrew Stringer, Green Party councillor and leader of the opposition group, says it is a relief elections are going ahead at Suffolk County Council

The main opposition group at Suffolk County Council is made up of the Green Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Independents. They had been protesting against the cancellation of the May election.

Andrew Stringer, Green Party councillor and leader of the opposition group, said: "There's going to be an election, thank goodness.

"I totally understand the issue of resources and trying to go through a monumental task of bringing new councils into being," he said.

"I totally get that's going to be an awful lot of work for everyone. But democracy is not a mere inconvenience, it is a necessity, which is why we should never have cancelled last year's."

'News is welcome'

Chris Hudson from Reform UK says "it is a very good day for democracy"

Jamie Niblock/BBC A head and shoulders image of Chris Hudson. He is wearing glasses and a blazer over a shirt and tie. He is looking into the camera. — Chris Hudson from Reform UK says "it is a very good day for democracy"

In January, Reform UK supporters were part of a protest outside the county council's Endeavour House headquarters calling for elections to go ahead in May.

Chris Hudson, the party's group leader on the authority, said: "I welcome the news that we have got the elections, and I am also welcoming the fact that the government's realised it could be well on an illegal course in trying to stop the elections.

"It's a very good day for democracy.

"We look forward to a fair and free election. The people are the masters. But the most important thing is that we respect democracy, because without that you've got nothing."

Labour had 'not done their homework'

Liberal Democrat councillor Inga Lockington sits on both authorities

Contributed Inga Lockington is standing in front of a wall covered in patterned wall paper of green leaves. She is wearing a multi-coloured patterned jumper with a black roll neck underneath. It is a head shot and Inga is wearing glasses and looking straight at the camera. — Liberal Democrat councillor Inga Lockington sits on both authorities

Ipswich Borough Council elections are now also going to held in May, when a third (16) of its 48 seats will be contested.

A spokesperson for the Labour-run authority said: "The council notes the Secretary of State's decision and welcomes the additional capacity funding. Preparations for the Ipswich Borough and Suffolk County Council elections will now continue to enable people to vote on 7th May."

Inga Lockington, a Liberal Democrat councillor who sits on both authorities, said: "That's democracy, and we should have elections.

"We knew it wasn't completely signed away, and clearly Labour had not done their proper homework, because if they had done their proper homework they would have seen what they've seen now in the first place - that it was illegal if they cancelled them."

Councillors are 'human beings'

Ian Fisher said he voted in favour of holding elections in May

John Fairhall/BBC Ian Fisher smiles at the camera outside a GP medical practice. He has short dark hair and wears a blue suit, white shirt and a gold tie. There are bushes in the background. — Ian Fisher said he voted in favour of holding elections in May

Ian Fisher is the Conservative group leader at Ipswich Borough Council.

He said: "I did vote in favour of elections going ahead. They used to say a week was a long time in politics, now it feels like an hour is a long time.

"My thoughts are if the government said they took legal advice, shouldn't they really have done that before they made the offer to postpone elections, or has something changed?"

Fisher said he did have sympathy for councillors facing election.

"We are human beings - people make plans for their futures, what they are doing and not doing, and it will have to change for those people," he said.

Government support for elections to go ahead

An MHCLG spokesperson said: "Following legal advice, the government has withdrawn its original decision to postpone 30 local elections in May.

"Providing certainty to councils about their local elections is now the most crucial thing and all local elections will now go ahead in May 2026."

The MHCLG added it had written to affected councils to confirm elections would go ahead, and said it would work with councils and their returning officers and suppliers to ensure they were well supported to reinstate plans for running elections.

Elections will be held on 7 May this year.

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