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Hello and welcome to Coffee House Shots, the Spectator's Daily Politics Podcast. I'm Cindy

You and I'm joined by Katie Bors and James Forsyth. So today we've had an announcement from

the Cabinet Office that the May local elections will definitely be going ahead.

James, this is a confirmation of something that we thought might be going ahead but didn't

know for sure until now.

Yes, and I think it is quite revealing that the government think that people will feel

it is safe to go to a polling station then.

And also that they think that your parties will be

able to campaign in the run-up to it. Campaining inherently involves people out and about

on the streets, putting leaflets through doors. We know from the cabinet office, current guidance,

because there's been a kind of ongoing row about the Liberal Democrats in this, but they don't

think parties should

be leafletting at the moment. The fact that they are suggesting that these other elections go ahead

in May must mean that they think that in April, at least, party, political parties will be able to go back

to, at the minimum, putting leaflets through people's doors and possibly, you know, active door-to-door canvassing.

And I think this is a sign, a kind of reveal that they do expect a certain level of

normality and easing of restrictions by then. I think it's actually, I think this is a greater

indication of where the government thinks things will be at than anything else we've seen so far.

Katie, presumably the government is also hoping for something of a vaccine bounce.

Yes, I think that is the case.

It's interesting because I think a few weeks ago there was a Zoom call with MPs and the Prime Minister.

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