Shropshire Council election: Councillor withdraws and brands poll 'irresponsible'
A councillor has withdrawn from elections in protest against the "irresponsible" decision to run the polls during the pandemic.
Ioan Jones, an independent councillor who represents Harlescott in Shrewsbury, will not be running in the May elections as he believes it is "too risky" to potentially expose voters to catching Covid-19.
Mr Jones said: "I feel it is totally irresponsible for political leaders both nationally and locally to expose millions of the electorate and council workers to possible Covid infection by holding elections at this time, when everybody is being advised to proceed with caution to avoid another wave of infections.
"I believe that the elections should have been postponed until at least September to see how infection control is progressing. Failing that, a national postal vote for all.
"For these reasons I will not be contesting this elections as I had previously planned to do, as I feel it would be totally irresponsible to ask the electorate of Harlescott as elsewhere go out and vote at such a risky time.
"For candidates to ask the electorate and council employees to put their lives on the line for the political egos of national and local political party leaders and themselves now, when another spike in infections is still possible and widely talked of, holding these elections is totally unnecessary at this time.
"I will not be voting in these local elections."
