Council chiefs across Oxfordshire have said they are preparing to hold local elections in May, as rumours grow that the Government may make moves to postpone the poll.

Local elections are due to be held across the UK on May 6, 2021, including for Oxfordshire County Council.

Elections which were due to take place in May 2020 that were postponed by the pandemic will also be held this year, including for Oxford City Council and Cherwell District Council.

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And a by-election is also due to be held for a single seat on South Oxfordshire District Council.

The BBC has reported that both Conservative and Labour MPs are anticipating the May 6 poll will be delayed until autumn, with a similar story in the Times newspaper.

Local council chiefs in Oxfordshire have said they are preparing for the elections to go ahead in May as planned, with extra precautions.

Ian Hudspeth, the leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: "There is an awful lot of speculation about elections, but ultimately no-one knows the decision until the Government has made one."

Mr Hudspeth said there were still some unanswered questions about the preparations around elections, including whether volunteers who usually help to count votes would be willing to help with current Covid restrictions.

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At Oxford City Council, the Returning Officer Susan Sale said: “We have not yet finalised our plans for the May local elections, but we are evaluating a wide range of measures to ensure the safety of electors and poll workers."

Emily Smith, who leads Vale of White Horse District Council, has written to the Government, asking it to clarify whether elections will be delayed and if so for how long.

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