#3 Election? What Election? Inside the Great Council Vanishing Act

It’s June 15th, 1215. Just after tea time (because of course), King John, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and a gaggle of extremely fed-up barons get together to hammer out what we now like to call the foundation of English law and personal freedoms: the Magna Carta.

Fast-forward 800-odd years and, if you’ve been following the current political circus in the UK, you’ve probably heard “Magna Carta” being dusted off and waved about during discussions on the proposed “postponement” of next May’s local council elections. Nothing says modern democracy like reaching back to medieval parchment.

Of course, while the Magna Carta boldly laid out the basics of law and the power of the state, it stopped well short of letting ordinary people actually choose who ran things. That little detail, votes for all, didn’t make it into law until 1918, when all men and some women were finally trusted with a ballot paper.

So yes, the Magna Carta was revolutionary… it just took donkey’s years to get around to the whole “everyone gets a say” part.

Now, if you’ve read the “Why” section of my blog, you may be wondering, quite reasonably, what on earth this bloke has to be so hacked off about, given that he spent a good chunk of his life not bothering to use the very right that now looks like it’s being quietly “misplaced.”

Fair question. And yes, I really am hacked off. Properly, teeth-grindingly angry. But not for the reason you’re probably assuming.

It’s not guilt. It’s not a sudden attack of civic sainthood. It’s the justification, or rather the spectacular lack of it, for potentially denying up to nine million eligible voters the chance to put a simple cross in a box exactly where they choose.

And before anyone say’s “steady on old bean,” that’s nine million spread over two missed opportunities to vote. Because, naturally, these elections were already postponed once last year. Democracy, apparently, is a bit like a budget airline flight: frequently delayed, occasionally cancelled, and you’re expected to be grateful it exists at all.

No, what really fuels my rage is the jaw-dropping arrogance of “the system”, that smug, self-preserving machine that’s decided it can trot out a carousel of excuses to justify stripping millions of people of their most basic democratic right.

Apparently, there isn’t enough time. Or staff. Or money. Council amalgamations are happening, inboxes are overflowing, and someone might have to work late, so democracy, regrettably, will just have to take a rain check. Priorities, you understand.

And let’s be clear: this isn’t a solo performance by the current Labour lot. This is a full-blown bipartisan farce. A cosy little stitch-up between Labour and the Tories, both of whom are staring at electoral oblivion next May as Reform, the Lib Dems, and, God forbid, the Greens sharpen their knives.

Faced with the terrifying prospect of voters expressing an opinion, ancient rivalries are suddenly forgotten. Wagons are circled. Principles are shelved. And “whatever it takes” is done to keep the two-party gravy train on the rails, careers intact, salaries safe, egos unbruised.

And in a coincidence so remarkable it deserves its own lottery ticket, of the six Tory-run councils that have applied to postpone next May’s elections, five just happen to be sitting on large majorities, and every single one is expected to lose them, and lose them badly. This is, I beleive, by design, done purely to stop Reform from getting an even bigger foothold in daily political life, regardless of what level that may be.

But don’t worry. We’re assured this is all terribly boring, strictly administrative, and absolutely nothing to do with power, panic, or politicians desperately clinging to their seats. Democracy hasn’t been cancelled, you see, it’s just been rescheduled.

Recently, even the Electoral Commission — that notoriously radical organisation whose sole job is to protect democratic process, felt forced to issue a statement of concern:

“We are disappointed by both the timing and substance of the statement. Scheduled elections should, as a rule, go ahead as planned and only be postponed in exceptional circumstances. We are concerned by the possibility of some council elections in May being postponed, and even more by any further postponement to those already deferred from 2025.”

Naturally, this was ignored. Why wouldn’t it be? The Electoral Commission is only independent, impartial, and legally mandated to uphold democracy, clearly no match for the convenience of those warm and comfortable on the front and back benches of the Commons.

What we are witnessing isn’t confusion or incompetence; it’s a calculated farce. This entire episode stinks of connivance, corruption, naked political self-preservation, gaslighting, and lies, brazen, shameless lies. Call it what it is. If there are stronger words available, feel free to insert them here.

Let’s hope that anyone still capable of acting in the public interest uses every legal power available to stop this rot. Because if this goes unchallenged, it won’t be remembered as a minor procedural tweak, it will be yet another deliberate blow to democracy in this country, delivered by people who know exactly what they’re doing and simply don’t care.

And breath ……….