Hello, I'm Sean Curran and this is yesterday in Parliament from BBC Radio 4. On Thursday,

the 22nd of January, opposition parties accused the government of running scared after 29 councils in England were allowed to postpone elections due to take place in May.

Sometimes when reaching for the perfect phrase, a politician will seek inspiration from the past

and channel there in a Churchill, Lloyd George, Thatcher or Mrs. Merton.

What was it about the Labour Party's collapse in the opinion polls

that first attracted him to the cancellation of local elections?

That was the Conservative shadow local government secretary, Sir James Cleverley,

reacting to the news that some council elections due to take place in May are to be postponed.

The delays range from Basildon to Burnley in May are to be postponed.

The delays range from Basildon to Burnley, Hindburn to Hastings and Worthing to West Lancashire.

The elections have been shelled because of plans to scrap the two-tier system of county and district councils in England and create larger unitary authorities.

The local government secretary Steve Reid told MPs that his department had written to 63

councils in December, asking to hear their views and had received more than 350 representations

from local authorities and others.

I have decided to bring forward legislation to postpone 29 elections.

I have deposited a list of these in the House of Commons Library.

I have received one further representation this morning

that I will consider then report back to the House on my decision.

He insisted the vast majority of local elections would go ahead as planned,

and he said he wasn't the first minister to delay a poll as part of a reorganisation.

The shadow secretary of state suggested on Tuesday that the previous government had not done the same thing,

but perhaps he has forgotten the postponements in

...