Motion calling for 2019 local elections in Daventry is lost

There has been some discussion that as a result of the impending re-organisation of local government in the county, some councils may cancel elections scheduled for May 2019 ahead of the likely establishment of two unitary authorities for the county in the following year.

As Daventry holds elections ‘in thirds’ elections in 2019 would not change the political control or leadership in Daventry.

A motion from Labour councillors Aiden Ramsey and Ken Richie called on elections to continue in 2019, as it ‘would ensure that DDC would enter the final phase of its existence with a full democratic mandate’.

But the motion was batted back by the controlling Conservative councillors, with council leader Chris Millar saying: “The decision will not be ours, it will be the government’s.”

Fellow Tory Adam Brown added: “It’s completely out of our hands. If the Labour group had put in a motion to write to the secretary of state then it would be a different matter.

“But at the moment it’s difficult to support it because it’s based on false premises.”

The motion, which was voted on at Thursday night’s full council meeting, was lost.