Elections: May 2021

Andrew Griffith Excerpts

Wednesday 13th January 2021 Commons Chamber

[Chloe Smith]

I am grateful for the tone that the hon. Gentleman strikes, because this is critically important. I would like the message to go out loud and clear across our parties that postal voting will be a sensible option at these elections for obvious reasons. As I said, the Electoral Commission will also play a large part in this, with its usual role of public information campaigns ahead of all polls, and in this case we are already drawing up the ways in which we will encourage the public to apply for absent voting arrangements.

[Andrew Griffith (Arundel and South Downs) (Con) [V]]

Does my hon. Friend agree that, with Great Britain seen as the gold standard for well-organised elections and the peaceful transfer of power, it should be perfectly possible to run a covid-secure set of local elections, having had over a year’s notice to prepare for them?

[Chloe Smith]

Yes, it is possible, and that is precisely what we are doing. I am very glad of my hon. Friend’s support for that.