Council leader defends delaying elections

Warwickshire County Council's leader has hit back at suggestions that she is looking to gain political advantage by delaying local elections.

Conservative Izzi Seccombe approved a decision to express interest in Warwickshire's councils being merged as part of a devolution deal.

Warwick District Council's opposition leader said such decisions should not be taken in the "clear self-interest of any political party".

But Seccombe said the decision to pursue a deal was "about our staff and our residents".

The move would see the current county and five district and borough councils abolished to form a unitary authority which would take charge from April 2027.

It would result in county council elections in May being delayed by a year, which would leave the current Conservative administration in power for almost two more years.

Elections in May 2026 would be for the new council, that would then serve for about a year as a shadow authority, while transition arrangements are settled.

Liberal Democrat councillor Alan Boad, leader of the opposition at Warwick District Council, asked Seccombe not to join a "lemming-like rush" to postpone elections, like 12 other Tory-led councils.

He said Seccombe had not "managed to persuade the districts and boroughs" of the plans for a single authority since the idea was put forward by the county council in 2020.

In response, Seccombe said: "At all times I have sought not to be political on this."

"It is always my intention to do the best I can, not necessarily the best for the party because this is about our staff and our residents.

"At a time like this, that, surely, should be a decision that exceeds party politics."

Boad said time should be taken to think about the change, and discuss it with stakeholders, including representatives from other geographic areas, suggesting "appropriate" powers could be devolved to town or parish council level.

Seccombe said it was her vision to include towns and parishes, as long as they wanted to be involved.

"Those who say we are taking everything to Warwick and it is going to be too far away from the front line... it is not going to be in my vision but I am just one person and I want others to come forward and be part of it."

"In that vision, I see us creating more community area committees, planning committees that are local.

"This is what you shape in the next few years and that is why there is a need to delay the election in my opinion."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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