County elections: CCN statement

Yesterday, almost 20 million people were eligible to go to the polls for 29 county council and unitary authorities in the County Councils Network membership.

Votes are being counted today and will continue into the weekend for some councils.

Simon Edwards, director of the County Councils Network, said:

“Yesterday’s local elections were arguably the most extraordinary in modern times, and presented numerous challenges for local authorities.  Across the country, councils have stepped up to make these elections as safe and as simple for people as possible to vote, and we pay tribute to their efforts: a culmination of months of planning.

“The County Councils Network looks forward to working with all freshly-elected councillors in county areas, both new and old. It is tempting to view the elections just through the prism of politics, but people voting in Thursday’s polls did so to influence virtually everything around them – from climate change to children’s services.

“With the vast bulk of county elections next taking place in 2025, the network will be working doubly hard to ensure the voice of county authorities are heard as the country emerges from the pandemic, on long-standing issues such as funding for county areas, adult social care reform, and on levelling-up left behind rural communities.”