For a second year running Covid could force the postponement of scheduled local elections for 2021.

Local elections are still due to take place in May, but the government is keeping the matter under review, according to the Cabinet Office.

Nub News offers our community a platform to share their opinions on local matters.

Read well-respected Hitchin councillor Judi Billing share her opinion on the situation at Nub News.[.B]

.............

Most of the local councillors I know are working their socks off.

From home of course, making sure that their constituents are receiving all the help they need to stay safe, fed, housed, educated and cared for.

But as elected councillors - district and county - we know that our fate is and should be in the hands of our constituents and that we are subject to regular elections where we can be held to account.

Last year the May local elections were rightly postponed shortly after we went into lockdown - but now I am hearing rumours that they might be postponed again along with those vital county council elections scheduled for May 2021.

Once again this Tory government is dithering and wasting time and refusing to see obvious solutions to some of the less complicated aspects of this dreadful pandemic

By now they could have legislated to make this years elections all postal.

The last thing anyone wants is a load of leafleters and politicians cluttering up people's doorsteps but there are other creative ways we are communicating with the communities that we represent.

The government needs to give urgent attention to postal or on-line voting possibilities so that local democracy remains vibrant and healthy and the people can continue to have their say.

What's the betting they will leave it too late and mess it up again?

Judi Billing