THE leader of Exeter City Council has welcomed news that the government is to fund the reinstated May local elections.

And he urged voters in the city to vote according to his party’s performance in Exeter, and not its national profile.

Cllr Phil Bialyk (Lab, Exwick) had led calls for the polls to be called off, saying the council could not afford to run them with local government reorganisation (LGR) preparations under way.

He said calling off the elections would save the city a quarter of a million pounds as well as freeing up officers to prepare for LGR, which will see the city council cease to exist in its current form over the next two years.

But political opponents said Labour was “running scared” after faring badly in the county council elections last year.

Thirteen city council seats will be up for grabs in May’s now-reinstated elections, including those of some key Labour councillors.

The reinstatement of the elections was revealed this afternoon in a letter to council leaders from Secretary of State Steve Reed, who said the government would foot the bill.

Cllr Bialyk said he was pleased that the government had listened to Exeter and other councils which had raised the resource implications of holding elections in May.

But, he said: “It is sad that this couldn’t have been done sooner. There has been quite a public outcry.

“Hopefully people will not use the election as a referendum on the national government but use it to decide on local issues.

“The Labour record here in Exeter is quite strong on delivering services. We have been out campaigning already, and I hope people are hearing the message on how we are delivering services for the people of the city.

“I want people not to judge us by what the national government is doing – judge us by what we are doing in Exeter.”

Guy Henderson

LDRS