COUNCILLORS in Rugby have put aside party rivalries to welcome the decision to postpone May’s local elections, and pledge to support residents during the coronavirus outbreak.
Elections for Rugby Borough Council (RBC) and Warwickshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner were due to take place on Thursday May 7. They will now take place in May 2021.
The government made the decision because the polls would have taken place during the peak of the spread of the virus.
In a joint statement, the leaders of RBC’s Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat groups Coun Seb Lowe, Coun Maggie O’Rourke, and Coun Jerry Roodhouse said: “The spread of coronavirus is the single largest threat to public health in a generation, and it is right that Rugby Borough Council’s resources are focused on supporting essential services rather than on administering elections at this time.
“Postponing these elections will mean that party supporters will not need to deliver leaflets and canvas voters, and voters will not need to attend polling stations, meaning that we can support the government’s push for social distancing.
“Times such as these give us an opportunity to come together and strengthen our neighbourhoods and communities. Together, we will support the council as it responds to the emerging situation, and we will support our residents as they seek to help each other through their time of need.”
