“We’ve never taken electorate for granted,” says mayor ahead of Doncaster elections in 2021

The 2021 council elections will be the first real test of the Labour party following a devastating general election which resulted in Don Valley choosing a Conservative MP for the first time along with massively reduced majorities for Ed Miliband and Rosie Winterton.

The mayor did not say what the party needed to do differently come May but said the general election in 2019 was ‘about the national scenario’ and not about issues more locally.

May 2021 elections is expected to see a large increase in postal voting due to uncertainty around the Covid-19 pandemic in the coming months.

Doncaster residents will be voting to choose an elected mayor, either two or three councillors for their area, parish councillors in certain locations and a police and crime commissioner for South Yorkshire.

Mayor Jones said: “Here in Doncaster we’ve never taken our electorate for granted and we’ve always worked for the good of Doncaster people with good socialist values.

“We will be going out in 2021 with all we’ve done over the past eight years of what we’ve achieved along with commitments we will be looking to make.

“We would always going in respecting that people will be looking (at our record) but I think we’ve got the right story to tell and the right ability to go forward and start bringing about improvements.

“Prior to Covid-19, we were gaining well with improved results in education, employment had improved, the average wage had improved. We will continue to improve and we will be focusing and getting people into work.

“I think 2019 was about a national scenario and I’m talking about the local stage in respect of what we have done and we will continue to push Government for the levelling up agenda – we’re yet to see this transpire.”

Elections are expected to take place on Thursday, May 6.

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