Dear Editor,

COUNCIL leader Dan Swords has asked the government to scrap local elections in Harlow this year. An inconvenient truth for councillor Swords is that 11 councillors should be elected this May as directed by legislation made in response to the Electoral Commission’s recommended change to ward boundaries in July 2023.

On the Electoral Commission’s webpage relating to Harlow it says that draft legislation was laid in parliament on May 23, 2023 and this became law by way of Statutory Instrument No.797/2023 on July 12, 2023. The changes to ward boundaries and election cycle were to be enforced from October 15, 2023.

In Dan Swords letter of January 15 to Alison McGovern MP, Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness it says: 

“Unlike many council areas that have made representations, no extension to any current councillor term would occur if the May 2026 district council elections were postponed.”

Councillor Swords is grossly misleading the public as section 4 of The Harlow (Electoral Changes) Order 2023 makes clear: 

“(3) Of the councillors elected for a ward in 2024 –

(a) one is to retire on the fourth day after the ordinary day of election of councillors in England in 2026;”

Sub-paragraph (4) explains which councillor is to retire in 2026: 

“(a) the first councillor for each ward to retire is to be the councillor elected by the smallest number of votes;”

Taking the example of Church Langley South & Potter Street ward it would require councillor James Leppard to be up for re-election this May. This can be confirmed by reference to the Declaration of Result of Poll for the May 2024 elections published by Harlow Council.

Obviously, Dan Swords has failed to take account of legislation and pontificates as if this law were never enacted. He is trying to gaslight the public and should apologise. 

David Foreman