Local authorities controversially seeking to delay elections have the seen the sharpest increase in the number of migrant being housed by councils in hotels, analysis has revealed.
The 12 counties have had an average increase of 344 per cent in the number of migrants they are housing in hotels and other properties since the last batch of council elections in 2021.
Councils seeking election delays and their migrant % increase
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This is far higher than the 184 per cent rise across England and the 177 per cent across the UK in the same period, according to analysis from the Centre for Immigration Control.
Local authorities want to delay elections because of the government’s plans to reorganise councils across England.
Labour wants to abolish district councils in favour of larger unitary authorities or ‘super councils’ with mayors. They argue it will make the delivery of local services simpler and more efficient.
Local councillors seeking election delays say there is no point in having elections if their council is about to be abolished meaning another election would be required.
But critics say voters are being denied democracy and missing out on their chance to hold councillors to account.
Reform UK’s Rupert Lowe – citing the American War of Independence – said there should be ‘no taxation without representation’ and advocated for people to stop paying council tax beyond May if their election is delayed.
Immigration has been consistently polling as one of the most important issues facing Britain after net migration hit 906,000 last year, a significantly larger number than previous estimates.
Critics argue that by postponing elections, voters will not be able to demonstrate their feelings on immigration.
Robert Bates, Research Director at the CMC said: “Voters are aghast at what is happening to their towns and communities.
“They deserve the chance to pass verdict on the failures of Labour and Conservative governments.
“May’s ballots were a prime opportunity for the genuine anger of the British public to be given an outlet.
“Scrapping these elections shows our political class to be driven by self-interest and contempt for the people they are supposed to represent. It is shameful.”
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Martin Daubney speaks to Robert Bates
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A spokesperson for Essex County Council said: “Any allegation of a link between asylum numbers and a request to postpone elections is complete and utter nonsense.”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage accused the Conservatives of ‘political cowardice’ and of ‘running scared’ by allowing elections to be postponed.
The Brexit supremo said: “This is political cowardice, a denial of democracy and a disgrace. If reorganisation takes three years, the elections should go ahead. Who wants this?”
The Liberal Democrats have levelled similar criticism at Kemi Badenoch based on their belief they will win seats from the Tories in May’s elections.
A Lib Dem source said: “Kemi Badenoch is bottling it and trying to cancel these local elections because she’s terrified of more Lib Dem gains and a Conservative collapse that would threaten her leadership.”
Council election results since July’s General Election suggest the Conservatives have been performing better than Reform and the Liberal Democrats, however.
The party, mostly leaderless during the period, has won 64 seats, a net gain of 27.
This compares favourably with Reform who have won seven seats (net gain of seven) and the Liberal Democrats who have won 32 (net gain of two).
A total of 18 bodies (including unitary authorities) have made requests for a delay to May’s elections.
They are Derbyshire, Devon, East Sussex, West Sussex, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Thurrock, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire.
Local Government Minister Jim McMahon said there would be a ‘high bar’ for allowing delays.
He said a decision would be reached ‘by the end of the month or in a couple of weeks.’
