Forest of Dean MP Matt Bishop has welcomed the Government's commitment to proceed with the upcoming local elections in Gloucestershire, rejecting attempts by the Conservative-run county council to delay the vote.

The Conservative-led Gloucestershire County Council had proposed postponing the elections, but Matt Bishop had strongly opposed this move, insisting that the elections should go ahead as scheduled in May 2025.

“I firmly support the elections going ahead this May,” said Matt Bishop. “The calls for a delay are nothing more than a desperate attempt by Tory councillors to avoid accountability for their disastrous record. They know they’re on the losing side because of their catastrophic failures over the years.

They’ve allowed potholes to destroy our roads, ignored the ever deteriorating state of local transport, and failed in children social services and education. A recent report from the National Audit Office showed that children in the Forest of Dean have the highest percentage of Special Educational Needs across the whole of Gloucestershire, yet there is nothing in place to address this locally. They want to delay the elections to avoid facing the consequences, but it’s clear the people of the Forest of Dean and wider Gloucestershire are ready for change. The elections in May give us an opportunity to have that change. The Tories tried to play party politics by stating that the county was ready to become a unitary council and therefore requested the elections to be postponed. This was never truly the case and shows just how desperate they are to cling on.”

The Labour Government has confirmed that the elections will proceed as planned in May 2025. Meanwhile, the ongoing debate over devolution and localised decision-making continues to gain momentum, with increasing calls for more local control across the UK. Currently, Gloucestershire’s population of 659,276 is governed by a two-tier system, with responsibilities split between the County Council and district councils of Cheltenham, Gloucester, Cotswolds, Forest of Dean, Stroud, and Tewkesbury.

In addition to pushing back the elections, the Conservative-led County Council has proposed a single unitary authority for the entire county, which would place Gloucestershire among the largest unitary authorities in the UK. Matt Bishop added, “The County Council isn’t working in the best interests of the people in the Forest of Dean and hasn't for years. I want to work with them and the Government to find a devolution agreement that benefits my constituents, ensuring they’re no longer the forgotten neighbour and have a seat at the table. I welcome constituents to contact me with their ideas on devolution, all opinions will be taken on board and considered.”