The Government has advised Bristol City Council - and local authorities across the country - to start planning to hold European Elections on May 23.
The message from Westminster has been sent to every single local authority which manages elections to begin ‘certain preparations’ so they are ready for the elections to the European Parliament, which are scheduled across the continent in just seven weeks’ time.
The looming Euro elections could well prove to be a factor in what happens to sort out the mess of Brexit in the Houses of Parliament.
Prime Minister Theresa May has agreed two different extension dates with the EU.
The first is scheduled for April 12, which would be when the UK leaves the European Union with no deal, and becomes a country with no agreed trade deals with any other nation in the world.
That would happen if MPs don’t agree a way forward, and also vote down Theresa May’s deal again.
If there is a solution, or if MPs vote to accept Theresa May’s deal, then the UK have a second leave date, which has been pencilled in for May, but before the May 23 Euro elections date.
The Government and MPs are still wrestling with what to do next - with calls for a longer extension to Article 50 that would mean the UK would stay in the European Union past the day when MEPs are up for election.
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Whether or not Britain takes part in the EU elections will form part of the negotiations, should the Government tell the EU it wanted to extend Article 50.
Bristol Live has learned that the Government and civil servants have written to local returning officers and council chiefs advising them to start planning to hold the EU Elections on May 23.
Like all local authorities, Bristol has been advised to prepare to hold those elections.
“Local authorities have been asked, as part of contingency planning, to ensure certain preparations are made that will enable us to swiftly take action should elections need to be held,” a spokesperson for Bristol City Council confirmed.
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Arch-remainer and former Labour minister Lord Andrew Adonis tweeted that Cabinet Office minister David Lidington had written to local authorities advising them this week, but Bristol Live understands that the message was issued before then.
Peter Stanyon, the chief executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators - the council chiefs who are in charge of running elections in each local authority area, has said that the Government should pay extra money to local councils for having to arrange the elections at such short notice.
Speaking to the Local Government Chronicle before this week's vote, he said the Government had advised councils to “do whatever contingency planning is necessary” but not to incur costs as “you won’t be reimbursed for them if there is no election”.
This, Mr Stanyon said, put councils in an “uncomfortable position”.
He added: “If a poll is required, it’s a massive logistical exercise for local authorities to undertake in a short space of time, so low level contingence planning must take place now. Local authorities are frustrated.”
Some returning officers are preparing for both European elections and council elections at the same time, which Mr Stanyon says requires a “massive administrative challenge that local authorities will be scrambling to make sure they can deliver in such a short timescale”.
“What would usually take six months of planning would be constrained into six weeks, putting them under intense pressure,” he added.
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