Walsall councillor’s bold proposal to reform local election system

Councillor Waheed Rasab, who represents the Paddock ward, has called for the introduction of all-out local elections every four years, rather than the current practice of annual elections.

The borough of Walsall is divided into 20 wards, each of which has three ward councillors.

Each year, one councillor from every ward stands for re-election. In the fourth year, no elections take place, which is what happened this year.

All-out elections are already scheduled for May 2026, but Councillor Rasab has called for this practice to be installed indefinitely.

He said the existing practice is significantly more expensive and takes money away from frontline services, adding that there is no ‘compelling need’ to hold elections every year.

In addition to cost efficiency, Councillor Rasab said holding all-out elections would provide less disruption, better voter engagement, and more decisive leadership.

He said: “The current practice of holding elections annually is financially burdensome, I understand it’s costing the council over £250,000 each year.

“This significant expense detracts from funding that could be allocated to essential frontline services, impacting the quality and availability of these services for our community.

“There is no compelling need to conduct elections every year. By transitioning to a four-year election cycle, we can ensure more efficient use of resources, allowing for better planning and stability within the council.

“I urge all members to consider the long-term benefits of this proposal and vote in favour of amending the constitution to implement a four-year election cycle.

A spokesperson for Walsall Council said: “To change how often elections take place in Walsall, a resolution must be passed by at least two-thirds of all voting councillors at a specially convened meeting.

“Before any decision is made to change the election cycle, the council must engage with key stakeholders and other persons on any proposed changes. This would likely include elected members, community leaders and residents.

“If the resolution is approved, the Council must inform the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE). The commission will then decide whether a boundary review is needed and will inform the Council of their decision in writing.

“Any resolution must also state when the new election cycle would begin. As all-out elections are already scheduled for 2026, this would likely be the starting point for any new arrangements.

“Group Leaders were consulted before the last LGBCE review and it was found that there was little interest to change the current system.”