Angela Rayner has denied that delays to local elections are a “stitch-up” after votes in nine council areas due to be held in May were postponed.
The Deputy Prime Minister, was asked about the perception that Labour could be delaying elections due to a fear of Reform UK making gains, after Nigel Farage accused the Government of “sheer cowardice” over the move.
Ms Rayner, who is also the Local Government Secretary, postponed elections in nine council areas for one year amid the reorganisation of local government in England, saying it did not make sense to elect somebody to an area that’s “not going to exist” within 12 months.
The announcement coincided with a voting intention survey which reported Reform had 25% of the support, its joint-highest score to date, ahead of Labour on 24% and the Conservatives on 21%.
Asked on the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme if the move was a “stitch-up”, Ms Rayner said: “Absolutely not.
“Look it won’t be a stitch-up because if you were genuinely trying to stop people, then that’s when people really get upset because they’ll be thinking: ‘hang on a minute’. So I don’t take the voters as idiots.
“What we’re trying to do is reorganise: The taxpayers get the best value for money from local government and they get to unlock powers from Whitehall pushed down to local areas through the mayoral model.”
Meanwhile, a Tory shadow cabinet minister said anyone “obsessing about polls” needs to “get a life”, when asked about the indication of support for Reform UK.
Alex Burghart, the shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said the Conservatives take the threat of Mr Farage’s party “very, very seriously” but a potential electoral pact with Reform would make for a “pretty difficult first date”.
Mr Burghart told Kuenssberg: “Some polls have Reform ahead. Some polls have us ahead. Anyone who is obsessing about polls at this point in the electoral cycle needs to get a life, right? The election is not for four years’ time.”
Asked about a potential pact, Mr Burghart said he “doesn’t think there’s a conversation to be had” while Reform is “talking about completely killing” the Tories.
He said: “Reform’s stated ambition is to destroy the Conservative Party. That’s a pretty difficult first date.
“If somebody says that they’re out to destroy you. Do you start thinking about marriage?”
The MP for Brentwood and Ongar added: “Reform took a chunk of my vote at the last election, I have a lot of colleagues that are in the same place.
“Of course, we take the challenge from Reform very, very seriously, but it’s very important that we hold this failing Government to account on the mistakes it’s making.”
Earlier in the week, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch urged the Government to make it harder for immigrants to secure permanent residency or a UK passport.
Mr Burghart said the party would set a “hard cap” on the number of work visas handed out each year, but declined to say what that number would be.
He said: “Kemi has said that we would set that out in advance of the next election, but it would be significantly lower than the numbers coming in now.”