Council Elections Will Go Ahead in 2017 Amid Uncertainty Over Mergers

Local government elections will take place across Wales next year, however the long-term future of councils across Wales remains uncertain.

During an interview with BBC Radio Wales over the weekend, First Minister Carwyn Jones stated that a map proposing that the 22 authorities across Wales were cut to eight or nine ‘was not going to proceed’.

The proposed mergers, which would have seen Wrexham merge with both Flintshire and Denbighshire, or just with Flintshire was first mooted a few years ago – however agreements on this could be implemented were never reached.

Today clarity on the future of local councils was called for by Welsh Conservative Leader Andrew RT Davies who today stated during the inaugural First Minister’s Questions of this term that Carwyn Jones has ‘spoken at length about this particular issue of local government reorganisation’.

He added: “Can you confidently say today there will be local government elections in May next year and that your government will not be looking to postpone those elections by bringing forward either new proposals for a local government map here in Wales or indeed actually moving the date so there can can be wider consultation over local government reorganisation in Wales.”

First Minister Carwyn Jones stated that he couldn’t envision a situation where they wouldn’t take place, and offered assurances local council elections will go ahead as planned next year.

Mr Jones continued onto say the 22 authorities across Wales is not ‘sustainable’, adding: “In terms of local government reorganisation it’s clear to me the map would not attract support in this chamber, but I do know in this chamber there is support for local government reorganisation.

“So it’s a question of spending the next few months examining what common ground there may be between the parties so we can remove the situation where we have 22 local authorities, one of which collapsed entirely and six were in special measures at one point in education.

While the subject of Council mergers was debated, former Minister for Public Services Leighton Andrews, who lost his seat to Plaid Cymru Leader Leanne Wood, appeared to be enjoying life away from the Assembly.

Hot here in Dublin. Time for a beverage. pic.twitter.com/H7gcTaZdjT

— Leighton Andrews (@LeightonAndrews) May 24, 2016

For those who like electoral nostalgia you can read our coverage from the 2012 Council election count day and night (and our first election back when we were tiny!) here.