ELECTIONS cannot take place safely during the pandemic, council bosses insisted despite the Prime Minister’s pleas for them to go ahead. 

Boris Johnson is understood to be urging council’s to prepare for elections on May 6, but Labour leaders in south Essex, have urged the Prime Minister to reconsider.

Ian Gilbert, leader of Southend Council, told the Echo the elections “may not be democratic” if they go ahead as planned, and Gavin Callaghan, leader of Basildon Council, added there is “no chance it will go ahead safely.”

Both have urged for the elections to be pushed back until July.

But Tory opposition councillors suggested measures which could be introduced.

Andrew Baggott, leader of Basildon’s Conservatives, said: “It will be a different campaign to what we are used to.

“We can’t have people crammed into a hall, and understandably so, but why can’t we spread the counts out across a week?

“Counting staff could wear PPE if necessary.

“If the elections are delayed, it’s a vote of no confidence in the vaccine rollout.”

Mr Callaghan, added: “A lot of our polling stations are vaccine centres. There’’s so many logistical issues.

“Many people don’t feel safe in handling votes. It’s not safe to leaflet drop at the moment, or go face to face door knocking.

“The Government needs to be sensible with this.”

The Government is now understood to have calculated that the lockdown measures will have eased sufficiently by Easter to allow candidates enough time to campaign before ballots are cast in May.

Mr Gilbert added: “Given the vaccine programme, it makes sense to move it back to July. That could make all the difference.

“We just don’t know what the restrictions will be by then, it makes it really difficult to plan ahead.

“I have concerns over whether it’s democratic if the usual campaign won’t happen.”

The Electoral Commission has now drawn up a series of measures to ensure that polling stations are Covid-compliant.

These include the use of hand sanitiser and floor markings as well as mandatory face masks.

Elections in Scotland also look to be going ahead.