You will be aware that many County and District councils face abolition in less than two years and are waiting for the Government to decide which of the options they have been presented with will be chosen.

Whilst the formal deadline for postponing elections next May has already passed, the Government has indicated that elections will be postponed if Councils ask them to do so, indeed a number have already done so.

Many believe that Councillors should not be able to pick and choose when elections take place. Next May will be the last time elections are held by Harlow District Council. Just how a new Authority is set up should not be left with people who were elected in May 2024 who have no mandate for change.

Over in Epping Forest, Councillors have been challenged to say whether they would support the postponement of elections. It would be interesting to learn how our Councillors here in Harlow would vote if asked.

A petition set up to oppose the postponement of elections in Harlow some weeks ago has been relaunched today and if you subscribe to the view that Councillors should not be able to pick and choose when elections take place, I would urge you to sign it by visiting https:// you.38degrees.org.uk/p/vote, or by clicking HERE