Latest news with #local elections
RNZ News
5 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Wellington's longest-serving city councillor Iona Pannett won't stand in upcoming local body elections
Iona Pannett had the backing of the Green Party for many years. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Wellington's longest-serving city councillor Iona Pannett has announced she will not be standing again in the upcoming local body elections . Representing the Pukehīnau Lambton ward, she was first elected in 2007. For many years she had the backing of the Green Party, but in 2022 she was dropped from the ticket, with her advocacy for preserving heritage and character areas clashing with party values. She said representing her constituents had been "an enormous privilege". But she said it was time for her to explore opportunities in the areas of health, history, the environment and social justice. "I am deeply grateful to the many hundreds of people who have supported me during my time on council - my family, friends, constituents, stakeholders, colleagues and volunteers on my campaigns," she said. "Having this support has been such a gift." "I have been proud to be a strong voice for the environment and climate, for social inclusion and for investing in the city for current and future generations," Pannett said. Among her proudest achievements she listed the declaration of the climate and ecological emergency and plans to reduce emissions, helping to stop the Basin Reserve flyover, advocating for the protection of listed heritage buildings and increasing protection of the Town Belt. With local elections coming up in October, see who's in the running for the Wellington mayoralty here . Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Auckland local election battle heats up with new candidates revealed
Auckland City Council building Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski Some high-profile candidates are putting themselves up for important roles in Auckland's local elections. Several wards were already set to be hotly contested ahead of candidate nominations closing on Friday at noon. This week, Mayor Wayne Brown announced two Hibiscus and Bays Local Board members, Victoria Short and Gary Brown, would contest the current Albany Ward councillors on his Fix Auckland ticket. Gary Brown ran against Wayne Brown in the 2022 mayoral race. The mayor had previously clashed with Albany councillors John Watson and Wayne Walker. In June, Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson announced she would stand again for the Ōrākei Ward, this time under Fix Auckland instead of Communities and Residents (C&R). With the right-leaning local government party C&R ticket, former mayor Christine Fletcher would be campaigning to retain her seat as one of two Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa Ward Councillors, along with Puketāpapa Local Board member Mark Pervan. Among the candidates they would be up against were current councillor for the area Julie Fairey and Puketāpapa Board member Jon Turner from the left-leaning City Vision ticket . The Puketāpapa Local Board had recently been in the news over its controversial decision to remove an off-leash area at a popular Auckland dog park . Also on the C&R ticket were school teacher and former local board member Tabetha Elliot for the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Ward, and Malcom Turner for the Manukau Ward. Turner came in third behind the area's current councillors, Alf Filipaina and Lotu Fuli, in the 2022 elections. Filipaina and Fuli confirmed they would be seeking re-election to represent Manukau on the Labour Party ticket. Current councillor Shane Henderson and Jess Rose would campaign for the Waitākere Ward under the left-leaning Future West banner. The other sitting Waitākere Councillor Ken Turner would be going up against them, along with India New Zealand Business Council general manager Sunil Kaushal under the Westwards banner. Wayne Brown and Desley Simpson. Photo: RNZ / Jessica Hopkins ACT had also thrown its hat in the ring , announcing eight Auckland candidates under the ACT Local banner this week. Barrister and solicitor, and Hibiscus and Bays Board member Samuel Mills would be ACT's Albany council candidate. Real estate agent Henrietta Devoe was selected as ACT Local's Manukau Ward candidate. There were also several hopefuls going for two Howick Ward councillor positions: current councillor Maurice Williamson, the owner of Times Media Bo Burns, ACT Local's Ali Dache, and controversial former MP Jamie-Lee Ross. Vote Auckland was expected to publish a preliminary list of all candidates on Friday evening. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
BBC News
15 hours ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Decisions on Telford and Wrekin boundary changes postponed
Final decisions on changes to parish and town council boundaries have been pushed back until the and Wrekin councillors agreed to hold a meeting in September, and potentially another in October, if they needed more time to carry out further small councillor for Muxton, Nigel Dugmore, welcomed the decision, after originally having seven days to read through about 1,000 responses in the boundary review committee agreed at the meeting in September would come into effect at the next local elections in 2027. A boundary review committee meeting on Wednesday heard that there had been general agreement about the creation of new parish councils for Muxton and there were more controversial changes on the cards, including Dawley Hamlets Parish Council being broken up and its communities divided up and absorbed into surrounding chairman of the parish council previously said that merging the area with another would mean large council tax increases for told the meeting that some residents in rural areas told him that they felt their communities were under attack."It's not an attack because no-one's actually doing anything yet to anybody. It was actually a consultation on the proposals," said the Labour-run council's deputy leader, Richard added that proposed changes in Wellington, Muxton, and Priorslee had been met of the meeting, Labour councillor for Ercall, Giles Luter, said: "It was wise of us to have a bit of a break between this meeting and the one in September just to really make sure we give this our proper attention." Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Telegraph
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Corbyn's hard-Left party aiming for quarter of vote
The formation of the new party raises the prospect of the Left splitting in a similar way to how Reform UK has peeled away support from the Conservatives on the Right. Mr Corbyn told activists: 'I'm hoping we can get through this process very, very quickly so we can do an establishment and a launch very, very quickly. 'So well in advance of next year's local elections we will have in place an organisation that supports local campaigns, supports independents in their campaigns and comes together under if you like a common badge, common emblem, common symbol, common umbrella.' Labour suffered heavy losses to Reform at the local elections this May and party figures fear next year's polls will be worse still. The party will be defending 14 out of 16 of the borough councils that will be re-elected in the autumn. It is also in charge of 21 out of 32 boroughs up for election in London. Further losses to Reform are also expected at the Welsh elections on the same day, while the SNP hopes to capitalise in the Scottish elections on Labour's poor national polling.
BBC News
19-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Cheshire and Warrington mayoral election one-year delay welcomed
Political leaders across Cheshire have welcomed ministers' decision to push the county's first mayoral election back by 12 government has confirmed that Cheshire and Warrington's inaugural elected figurehead will now be chosen on the same day in May 2027 as some local elections in the of the county's three councils - Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, and Warrington - said the decision would provide "greater clarity" and save groups have also welcomed the move, with one Conservative councillor saying it would allow time to set up a "working and fully functioning combined authority". The three council leaders said the government's decision "gives us greater clarity on our plan to establish a Mayoral Combined Authority in 2026".They also said a May 2027 mayoral election would "save money and could also result in more people voting and having their say".Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester are both scheduled to hold their next full council elections in May Borough Council's would be the following year. Opposition Conservatives in both Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester had previously called for a delay in the mayoral Gardiner, the leader of the Tory group on Cheshire East Council, said: "Each borough-wide election costs around £1m to run, and having separate elections in 2026 and 2027 makes no financial sense."Additionally it would allow time to set up a working and fully functioning combined authority, rather than simply rushing to fit some arbitrary timetable set by the Labour government."Adrian Waddelove, who chairs the Conservative group on Cheshire West and Chester Council, said he was "delighted"."It's a shame that it has taken so long for the Labour leadership to realise the benefits of a one-year delay when greater clarity to residents and businesses could have been provided sooner," he Liberal Democrats opposition group on Warrington Council has been approached for comment. 'Benefits and opportunities' The leaders of Cheshire's three councils also welcomed the confirmation from the government that the county could continue with its devolution plans and had published the results of a recent consultation."We can now work with certainty to unlock the huge benefits and opportunities of devolution," they said."As we continue, it's important we take on board and respond to the feedback received through the government consultation."The three councils are expected to make formal decisions on the devolution proposals in September. Read more stories from Cheshire on the BBC and follow BBC North West on X. For more local politics coverage, BBC Politics North West is on BBC One on Sunday at 10:00am and on BBC iPlayer.
