Coronavirus: Elections chiefs urge government to consider 'legal basis' for postponing local elections

Polls expected to be the first major test of Boris Johnson's administration

Elections chiefs have urged the government to consider the legal grounds for postponing the local elections in May if the coronavirus threat worsens.

In a letter to the cabinet office, the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) said sickness could force polling station closures and raised concerns about whether there would be enough staff to organise the ballot.

Candidates could be too ill to attend counts and administrators are already reporting anxiety from voters about whether postal ballots could transmit the virus, the AEA said.

It comes as local elections were expected to take place on 7 May, which includes 118 English councils and mayors in London, Liverpool, Greater Manchester, West Midlands and Tees Valley.

The polls will be the first major test of Boris Johnson's administration following his decisive general election victory in December - particularly of his post-Brexit agenda.

What you need to know about coronavirus

It would also provide the new Labour leader with their first electoral test, as Jeremy Corbyn's successor will be announced on 4 April.

Peter Stanyon, chief executive of the AEA, asked for guidance on how to sanitise polling stations and warned that some temporary staff are turning down polling station work due to the risk of contracting the virus.

"Returning officers will work hard to recruit new people, but if the outbreak worsens as we approach May 7, we are worried that there will simply not be enough staff to keep all stations open," he said.

"This could be made worse if someone who attends polling station training were to show symptoms, leading to all staff at that training session needing to self-isolate."

He added: "We would also urge you to look at the legal basis for postponing polls, both for individual areas and across the UK, should the situation worsen as we approach May 7.

"This would include making arrangements for the implementation of boundary reviews and newly formed councils.

"This would also need to apply to any other poll that would be taking place after that decision is made, to include by-elections and other ballots that are run on a regular basis."

It comes after Rishi Sunak's first Budget was hastily rewritten to brace the UK economy for "challenging times" triggered by the coronavirus outbreak.

He said statutory sick pay would available for all of those advised to self isolate during the outbreak, even if they do not have symptoms, but failed to extend payment to self-employed workers.

Instead, millions of gig economy workers will be given help through a £500m boost to the benefits system, including a temporary halt to the minimum floor in universal credit and quicker payments for employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants.