Post Reply
Talkback Home

2026 Local Elections - Govt Considering Delaying Again - Was Undecided Now Decided (17th Oct 2025  09:30:16) We were denied our democratic right to Local Elections in 2025 as the Govt moved to reconfigure council boundaries. Today, the Times is reporting that Hampshire is among a number of councils where the Govt is considering denying Local Elections in 2026 - citing concerns that Reform would win and threaten Labour plans to overhaul and drive efficiencies in local government. Democracy delayed is democracy denied - again. In the meantime, we have the illusion of free will.

Re: 2026 Local Elections - Govt Considering Delaying Again - Joe (17th Oct 2025  12:49:59) i think if anything Reform would probably want to reform the local authority system to get value for money for the council tax payer.

Re: 2026 Local Elections - Govt Considering Delaying Again - Was Undecided Now Decided (17th Oct 2025  15:15:29) Joe, absolutely correct and I need to clarify. The Times is reporting that Labour are scared that Reform will win (very likely as we can see from results elsewhere) and it would be Reform who then seek value for the taxpayer. As a taxpayer, that's what I want - DOGE-level efficiencies from a bloated local government sector. Local Elections are typically seen as a mid-point indication of confidence in the Govt, so not a surprise that Labour are doing everything to deny people the right to vote - as they know change is coming and are desperate to cling to power.

Re: 2026 Local Elections - Govt Considering Delaying Again - er (17th Oct 2025  16:34:50) Since Hampshire is a Tory run council, this makes no sense to me, other than the fact all sensible people, not just Labour voters, should be pretty worried about the prospect of our councils being run by people, some of whose biggest fans like to paint roundabouts! I'm not sure most people could name a single policy that reform would stand for in Hampshire, beyond maybe stopping the 4% of immigrants who flee here by boat, or something, like that would change everything OK many normal people will vote Reform now because there's a big groundswell of fear of immigrants, especially Muslims, being pushed in the right wing press, and most people are easily led, but do we really want to be under the rule of this party in Hampshire, because I can't imagine they have much of a clue how to actually run a council and I can't think of any actual policies or real world achievements they have, beyond immigration related fears!

Re: 2026 Local Elections - Govt Considering Delaying Again - Was Undecided Now Decided (17th Oct 2025  17:56:48) How predictable ER. The first discussion on this was about establishing value for the taxpayer by having a right-sized and efficient local government burden. You immediately surfaced, targeting 'people who paint roundabouts' and seeking to change the narrative with your own hatred. I hope you are healing. Your future comments do not deserve any reply.

Re: 2026 Local Elections - Govt Considering Delaying Again - Sam (17th Oct 2025  17:59:16) Still clinging onto the veneer idea of democracy I see. Wasting our time thinking a vote matters.

Re: 2026 Local Elections - Govt Considering Delaying Again - passfield resident (17th Oct 2025  20:46:30) WUND-I agree more or less with er's post-Reform are big on slogans but do you see any evidence that they have the ability to run councils professionally? Where would you propose making savings? DOGE hasn't gone so well in the US.Your insulting and patronising er is unecessary.

Re: 2026 Local Elections - Govt Considering Delaying Again - Joe (18th Oct 2025  08:26:18) In answer to Passfield resident- the savings to be made in local governments are multiple. There would be merging of district and county councils, so huge office buildings could be sold and converted into apartments or sold and new houses created on brownfield land instead of on green fields. The elections at district and county which cost milllions would go from two costs down to one cost. There would be more working from home by staff which a lot of them would welcome. Yes there would be redundancies but the council tax payer would gain from not having to fund so many employees who are in the local authority pension scheme, and where salaries of some local authority leaders are more than double the Prime Minister’s salary. With everything now being done online does the council tax payer need to fund so many meetings which are mostly not getting things done anyway?

Re: 2026 Local Elections - Govt Considering Delaying Again - passfield resident (18th Oct 2025  09:36:06) Joe-I was talking about the Reform party's promises on savings-they are opposed to working from home.

Re: 2026 Local Elections - Govt Considering Delaying Again - Joe (18th Oct 2025  12:11:40) I was answering your point as to whether Reform have the ability to run local authorities professionally - it is the officers these days who run the councils- councillors have to abide by officers reports or they get sent for “ retraining” and that is under the conservative leadership. If layers of costs are removed that is a bonus whoever is nominally in charge of local councils.

Re: 2026 Local Elections - Govt Considering Delaying Again - Was Undecided Now Decided (18th Oct 2025  14:00:17) Labour are not communists. They are an authoritarian regime.

Re: 2026 Local Elections - Govt Considering Delaying Again - Steve (18th Oct 2025  15:07:32) Well communism and authoritarian are not mutually exclusive 🙄 However neither expression is particularly helpful in the context of the current political situation. I rather doubt that when WUND is lying on his (or her) deathbed, hopefully many years from now, they will look back and think 'but if we had only had local elections in 2025' my life would have been so much better.

Re: 2026 Local Elections - Govt Considering Delaying Again - Scott (22nd Oct 2025  08:47:13) Thank you editor✌️👍 [editor]For those who haven't noticed, a number of posts have been removed.[/editor]

Post Reply
Talkback Home