THE Communist Party has unreservedly condemned proposals to cancel some local elections meant to take place on May Day in England.

The Labour government says it wants to cancel elections where, it claims, the council in question would be dissolved in a year’s time under its plans to reorganise local government.

Labour wants to get rid of all that remains of Edward Heath’s two-tier system, where shire counties provide most local services, but smaller district and borough councils provide a few, such as housing, planning and street cleaning.

But the CP warned that districts and boroughs, cannot be replaced by a unitary authority in less than 12 months without risk of chaos in vital services such as homelessness, refuse collection, adult social care and children’s services.

All councils up for election on May 1 therefore have at least two years’ life left, the CP has said.

“What frightens Labour most is giving voters a say about their half-baked proposals and a chance for working people to give a verdict on Sir Keir Starmer’s dismal start as Prime Minister.

“And the official Opposition, Kemi Badenoch’s Tories, are just as afraid of the electorate, terrified of being out-polled by Nigel Farage’s Reform UK,” the party said.

“Some council leaders have joined the call to scrap the elections so they can escape the voters’ judgement on another round of cuts,” the party ventured.

Already having chosen its candidates and commenced campaigning, the party urged voters to choose its candidates where they can, “candidates committed to extending local democracy and improving public services.”