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T_i_B

(14,734 posts)
Thu Mar 28, 2019, 05:55 PM Mar 2019

Local elections on Thursday 2 May

It's that time of year when local elections are due. This year we have local elections in many areas of the country.

As always, please feel free to tell us about what local elections are due in your local area, who is standing in your area, which party controls your local council and what are the big issues affecting local politics in your area.

https://www.yourvotematters.co.uk/

I moved inside Sheffield's boundaries last year, so I have elections for Sheffield City council due this year, as well as parish council elections. Labour have a large majority on Sheffield council, but there are also a fair few Liberal Democrats and Greens. No Tories on Sheffield council, which is no bad thing if you ask me.

The big local issues are the local plan, which the council appear to be sitting on until after the election and the ongoing issues with the PFI contract with Amey Plc for road maintenance, which has been very controversial due to cost and also Amey's fondness for tree felling in spite of many objections from residents of the affected areas.

In the ward where I live the Labour councilor who was up for re-election has quit Labour. He is the husband of the local MP Angela Smith, who has recently defected to The Independent Group. After being initially selected as the Labour candidate without a fuss there then followed attempts to unselect him on a technicality, on account of his being in possession of an offensive wife.

https://www.thestar.co.uk/our-towns-and-cities/sheffield/sheffield-councillor-quits-labour-days-after-mp-wife-defects-1-9622320

I haven't had a single leaflet from Labour since I moved, possibly because they are so focused on internal shenanigans. I have had a couple from the Liberal Democrats though.

As far as the parish council elections go, the main issue there is the presence of a small group of "independent" parish councillors who are essentially a front for the far right. They make a lot of noise at meetings but don't get anything done. Their platform is about as bad as it's possible to get at parish council elections.

Interestingly I did meet a few parish councillors a few weeks ago and raised an issue relating to a street near me. Their response was that they hadn't had any complaints about this matter for a number of years. The moral of the story is that you need to make complaints if you want to get things done!

So, what's happening in your local area?

4 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Local elections on Thursday 2 May (Original Post) T_i_B Mar 2019 OP
None for Oxford City Council or Oxfordshire County Council LeftishBrit Mar 2019 #1
Having moved inside Sheffield's boundaries... T_i_B Apr 2019 #2
A week to polling day T_i_B Apr 2019 #3
Polling day is today! T_i_B May 2019 #4

LeftishBrit

(41,190 posts)
1. None for Oxford City Council or Oxfordshire County Council
Fri Mar 29, 2019, 01:12 PM
Mar 2019

The neighbouring District Councils of West Oxfordshire, Cherwell and Vale of the White Horse all do have elections coming up. All are Tory controlled. The only one where there might be competition with the Tories (from the LibDems) is the Vale of the White Horse.

T_i_B

(14,734 posts)
2. Having moved inside Sheffield's boundaries...
Sun Apr 7, 2019, 02:05 PM
Apr 2019

Last edited Tue Apr 9, 2019, 02:46 AM - Edit history (1)

I do get local elections on a more regular basis.

Another ugly issue that has raised it's head however, is that the National Front are standing in the ward where I live.

With Lib Dem's, Tories, Green's, a "Yorkshire" party for people who think that UKIP aren't parochial enough and the incumbent councillor standing as an independent after falling out with Labour in addition to the Nazi's I expect Labour to get in on account of the anti-Labour vote being split in many directions in the ward where I live.

T_i_B

(14,734 posts)
3. A week to polling day
Thu Apr 25, 2019, 01:04 PM
Apr 2019

People's attention does seem to be more focused on the Euro's. And on that note, the incumbent (almost certain to be voted out) councillor for where I live is on the European Parliamentary list for Change UK / TIG.

T_i_B

(14,734 posts)
4. Polling day is today!
Thu May 2, 2019, 01:05 AM
May 2019

Has anyone seen much evidence of a local election being on?

Also, I got my European election polling card in the post last night. So after this election finishes another election campaign starts in ernest. People are going to be very weary of electioneering!

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