LABOUR was today sensationally attacked by the elections watchdog for damaging democracy after postponing dozens more council contests.
The Electoral Commission warned that local authorities risked being viewed as illegitimate by the public as a result of ministers’ “unprecedented” decision.
It launched an extraordinary onslaught against the Government for offering councils the opportunity to delay their elections for another year.
Some 63 town halls have been given the option to defer next May’s ballots because they are undergoing a reorganisation.
After a slate of elections were also scrapped last year, it would mean some councillors serving mammoth seven-year terms rather than their four-year mandates.
Electoral Commission boss Vijay Rangarajan said the government did not have a valid excuse for denying millions of people a say next year.
He said: “Extending existing mandates risks affecting the legitimacy of local decision making and damaging public confidence.
“There is a clear conflict of interest in asking existing Councils to decide how long it will be before they are answerable to voters.
“Voters must have a say on those that represent them at local government.”
Mr Rangarajan said the decision – slipped out on the final day in Parliament before Christmas – had created “unprecedented uncertainty”.
Ministers will make the final say in January after consulting with councils about whether they want to press ahead.
Nigel Farage has said this is akin to “Turkeys being asked to vote for Christmas” and has slammed Sir Keir Starmer as a “dictator”.
The PM is expected to suffer sweeping losses in the council elections as his government’s favourability languishes in the polls.
He is already engulfed in an accountability row after slashing access for political journalists in Downing Street.
No10 has almost halved the number of Lobby briefings for the media and instead wants to take more questions from influencers.