Is it any wonder that both the Conservative and Labour parties are conspiring to delay the upcoming local elections in May?
With Reform UK topping several opinion polls and gaining momentum, neither of these so-called “mainstream” parties dares to face the public at the ballot box right now.
Instead of embracing the democratic process, they are clinging desperately to what local control they have, terrified of being swept aside by a wave of public discontent.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, has rightly condemned this blatant attempt to deny voters their voice.
He has accused the Tories of “political cowardice” for seeking to postpone local elections, particularly in Essex County Council, where Reform UK has been surging in support.
Let’s be clear about what’s happening here. The Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, has initiated a reorganisation scheme that involves merging dozens of district councils into larger unitary authorities.
In a highly suspicious move, the government is now allowing counties to request delays in their elections under the guise of “waiting for reorganisation to conclude.”
This could result in councillors remaining in power for up to three additional years — without a single vote cast.
Fifteen counties, along with two unitary authorities — most of them Conservative-run — have already requested permission to postpone their elections.
This reeks of desperation. The Tories, under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership, are clearly afraid of facing the electorate in May, they would rather cling to power through procedural trickery.
Nigel Farage hit the nail on the head when he called this move a “denial of democracy and a disgrace.”
He added: “This is political cowardice. If reorganisation takes three years, the elections should still go ahead. Who even wants this so-called reorganisation? Certainly not the British public.”
Labour is equally complicit in this democratic subversion. While it is Angela Rayner spearheading the reorganisation efforts, the entire Labour front bench is in lockstep with the plan.
After all, Labour knows it is also vulnerable to Reform UK’s rising tide. Their policies, riddled with hypocrisy and inconsistency, have alienated large portions of the electorate.
Rather than confront this reality and face a humiliating defeat, they’re opting to delay democracy itself.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government offered a hollow justification for these delays, claiming they are necessary to ensure “reorganisation and devolution on the most ambitious timeline.”
But the truth is obvious to anyone paying attention — this is not about efficient governance.
It’s about avoiding a political reckoning.
Kevin Hollinrake, the Tories’ shadow communities secretary, weakly attempted to frame the delays as a way to protect local identities.
He said: “No council should be bullied or blackmailed into local government restructuring. It should not be imposed by top-down Whitehall fiat.”
Yet this is exactly what his party is doing — imposing its will from the top down, trampling on local democracy, and disrespecting voters.
Both Labour and the Conservatives are running scared. They know that once the British people finally have their say, there will be a political earthquake. Reform UK represents a growing movement of disillusioned voters who are tired of the same tired policies from two parties that are indistinguishable in their arrogance and disregard for democracy.
Make no mistake — this is an abuse of power, a betrayal of trust, and an insult to the electorate. The Conservatives and Labour are holding the British people in contempt, thinking they can suppress democracy and avoid accountability.
But they do so at their own peril. When voters are finally given the opportunity to express their frustration, the reckoning will be swift, decisive, and long overdue.
Both parties should remember: you can only deny democracy for so long. Reform UK is rising, and no amount of political cowardice will stop the tide of change that is coming.
Richard Thomson was the Reform UK candidate for Braintree in the 2024 election and served as a Royal Marine for eight years