Kevin Foster: Conservatives are democrats we should not cancel elections

Kevin Foster was the MP for Torbay between 2015 and 2024 and is a former Deputy Leader of Coventry City Council.

Margaret Thatcher once said:

“There is little hope for democracy if the hearts of men and women in democratic societies cannot be touched by a call to something greater than themselves.”

Democracy is not just a procedural necessity to being a Conservative, it’s protection and advancement define being a Conservative.

Democratic freedoms go hand in hand with economic ones. The ability to freely express your thoughts, faith and ideas create the conditions which drive western society, their economies and scientific advancement. It’s not a coincidence that the world’s most powerful country is a nation founded on the ideal of liberty, not state control.

I served as a Councillor for 12 years, was a Cabinet Member for four years, and Deputy Leader for two. I made a positive difference in the work I did.

When I visit Coventry, alongside a trip to the football, I like to see some of the progress made at the time – and plans which have come to fruition – since I left to return home to Devon.

When Coventry’s voters chose Labour to run their council in 2010, I respected their right to do so. Why? I am a Conservative. At no point did I think to myself: “I am so indispensable to this city that we should remove the ability of local residents to elect different political leadership if they wish to.”

Our movement fought to keep democracy alive in the 1930s and 40s when a hellish mixture of Fascists, Communists and National Socialists wanted to bring it down. We rightly revere the memory of those who did not survive that fight and gave their all to it.

In 21st Century Britain we hold the torch of liberty against left-wing activists wanting to pervert the criminal law to silence their opponents. Our Shadow Justice Secretary is fighting the attempt to bring in a Blasphemy Law which would silence religious freedom. Our backing of Ukraine’s fight for the right to be free is absolute.

Labour is often forced to retreat when faced with our timeless values.

Yet in our midst are some who have lost their way and for whom the lighthouse of Conservatism is now over the horizon of ambition. People for whom position and the trappings of power have created a fog which obscures the light of principle. I’m talking about those conniving with an authoritarian Labour Government to delay local elections for a second time.

The idea that five million people will again be denied the chance to elect who they want to be running their county is profoundly wrong.

What is Conservative about this quote from a Councillor in response to suggestions elections be delayed? “While I’m a great believer in democracy, the risks of political leadership change over the next two years are huge. Now, fortunately, we have great officers. But if they were then given the wrong political direction or a different set of political priorities became paramount after May 2026, I would be deeply worried.”

Answer: Nothing. There is no “while” about being a great believer. If you are a great believer in democracy, you know the way to resolve this worry is to take your argument to local voters, not Labour Ministers. If they choose someone else? That’s democracy. Allowing and respecting that this is what being a “great believer in democracy” and a Conservative is truly about.

Our national party was too timid in its response when Labour gave county councils the chance to delay elections earlier this year, now we need to be clear: Conservatives from the Town Hall to Westminster oppose this. Delaying elections again is an action incompatible with our core values as a party and being a member of it.

We might lose a few Councillors due to this, but they will virtually all be the type who we rarely see turnout for an action day. Those Conservative Councillors who stand up against a delay should know we have their back and will ensure they are well supported. The message of principle and leadership will be far stronger than the limited coverage of someone walking out. Those unhappy with this stance can stand as independents and see what their constituents think of their arguments the election should not be happening.

If elections are delayed (again) all this will do is reinforce a toxic political narrative which is hampering our efforts to renew. It will also waste some of the welcome momentum we have had since conference, especially if Essex is one of the places where elections are delayed.

Labour is not considering another election delay to bring better governance to counties it is normally happy to ignore, but to save its own skin from voters’ wrath.

Our national party cannot just sit by and spectate as democracy is denied. We should champion democracy. We might lose a couple of Councils in the short term, but long-term voters will know which party stands by their values. Making it more likely they will choose us to govern again.