Devon seeks permission to delay county elections

Devon County Council is asking the government to cancel elections due to take place in May so that it can prepare for a reorganisation of local government.

The county council, which is Conservative-led, has voted to postpone elections due across the county as part of its move towards merging with district councils under the government's devolution proposals.

Julian Brazil, a Liberal Democrat county councillor and leader of South Hams District Council, accused colleagues of being part of a "council of collaborators".

James McInnes, the Conservative leader of Devon County Council, said the authority had to choose between joining the government's devolution priority programme or "dragging its heels".

In a packed meeting Liberal Democrat councillors condemned the plans which were supported by Labour members.

Brazil said: "We have a quisling council of collaborators complicit with a discredited government.

"It's going to cost tens of millions of pounds and it won't be any better - just ask Somerset or Cornwall where they've moved to unitary authorities."

Independent councillor Jess Bailey said the Conservatives were trying to "steamroller" the reorganisation plans through.

She said: "It's the twilight of this administration and to drag out another year is completely wrong."

But Labour leader Carol Whitton said she welcomed the move to single unitary authorities and backed the appeal to postpone elections.

She said: "Cancelling elections is just an inevitable consequence of moving as fast as possible."

Following the meeting McInnes said he was pleased to have won the vote by 37 to 12 and would now be putting a request to government.

He said: "What today is all about is us saying we want to influence the outcome, not stand on the sidelines."

The government has said councils could apply to postpone elections while they developed plans to merge district and county councils into new unitary authorities which would in turn be combined into larger strategic authorities with directly-elected mayors.

Unitary councils in Plymouth and Torbay could also be reorganised as the government has said it wants to see new unitary councils with populations of about 500,000.

Both Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council's cabinet are holding meetings on Thursday to agree their approach.

Larger strategic authorities which bring unitary councils together with an elected mayor in charge are expected to have populations of about 1.5m.

A report from Donna Manson, chief executive of Devon County Council, said there had been "ongoing discussions with Cornwall, Plymouth, and Torbay Councils" regarding a mayoral authority but "it has not been possible to reach an agreement".

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