Covid: May elections 'will almost certainly be delayed'

Elections due to take place on 6 May will "almost certainly" be postponed due to the coronavirus, Conservative MP Steve Brine has said.

Labour's Meg Hillier said she could not see "any option but for some delay".

Voters are set to go to the polls in May for council and mayoral elections in England - and parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously said the May date would be kept under review.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Westminster Hour, Mr Brine said: "I've been talking to my local party about it and I've been talking to [Conservative] Central Office about it. I just cannot see how you could do that."

He said some activists were already "out delivering leaflets - they're opening gates, touching letterboxes, putting bits of papers through doors in a lockdown with a highly virulent virus.

"It is deeply dangerous, it is deeply irresponsible… if you push the election back it pushes back that temptation."

Chair of the Public Accounts Committee Ms Hillier said she was "surprised the government hasn't thought about this before", adding that election organisers would be making decisions about the 6 May polls this week.

"I can't see any option but for some delay," she said, but added: "I would hate to see a very long delay because it's really bad for democracy.

"And actually, politicians standing for election want to get on with their elections usually because being held to account by the electorate... we rather relish that."

Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said her party was not asking activists to deliver campaign material at the moment, but that last summer canvassers had been provided with personal protective equipment PPE to make it "as safe as possible".

Having postponed planned elections in England last year due to the pandemic, many want the May vote to take place - including ministers, I'm told.

But there is real concern about the practicalities; how to safely conduct the poll given likely social distancing, whether enough venues and staff would be available and how much it all might cost.

The official government line is that the date is set, albeit subject to review depending on the course of the virus.

But discussions are taking place. Council leaders and officials, tasked with running the elections, are pressing for clarity from government - and sooner rather than later.

In the end, as if often the case, politics may be the deciding factor. If a May vote means no campaigning can take place in advance, political pressure may force a shift.

If there is a delay, though, many want it to be weeks or months rather than wait another year before people have a say about who represents them.

Last week the County Councils Network urged the prime minister to decide "as soon as possible" whether elections should go ahead.

And the BBC has learned that in Manchester the region's leaders have spoken with the government about a delay.

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who is up for re-election, said he would recommend contests being restricted to postal voting, if they do go ahead in May.

The Cabinet Office has previously said measures could be implemented at "short notice" to allow more people to cast their votes by post including those self-isolating in the run-up to election day.

In Scotland, any change to the election date would be a decision for the Scottish Parliament, rather than the government, and MSPs have introduced contingency plans which would allow the vote to be pushed back by up to six months.

And in Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said he is "committed" to the 6 May polling date but he wants to "allow some flexibility" - and a new law is being planned to make it possible to delay the election if needed.

Police and crime commissioner, council and mayoral elections had been due to take place in 2020 but were postponed due to Covid.