A SENIOR Cumbrian politician has said the upcoming election could be postponed due to the risk of further spreading coronavirus.

Carlisle City Council’s deputy leader Gareth Ellis has confirmed he will be asking the Government to consider either an all-postal ballot, or a postponement of the upcoming Police and Crime Commissioner elections in Cumbria.

Conservative councillor Mr Ellis will be writing to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, to request that this be considered, in light of the recent revelation that there are confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Carlisle area.

“It’s for him to consider either an all-postal ballot, or to consider postponing the elections entirely,” Mr Ellis said.

“A decision like this has to be considered now, because once the election is called it’s difficult to change it.”

The scheduled date for the Police and Crime Commissioner election is May 7. As such, the official countdown to the election should begin on March 31.

Conservative Peter McCall, the current Police and Crime Commissioner has previously announced he will be running again, as has Labour candidate Barbara Cannon.

Mr Ellis said he was particularly concerned for the welfare of Carlisle City Council staff, who on polling day would be manning polling stations across the Carlisle district.

“A member of staff in a polling station will see hundreds of people a day,” he said.

“Even if the decision is taken not to change the approach to the election, we might have to start thinking about what we’re going to do at polling stations - for instance making sure hand sanitiser is at every polling station entrance.”

Mr Ellis added that there was precedent in Cumbria for both an election to be postponed, and for an all-postal ballot to be carried out.

“In 2001 an election was postponed due to the Foot and Mouth outbreak. And in 2004 there was an all-postal election carried out as a pilot study.

“I think the easier solution would be an all-postal ballot,” he added.

He added that making such a decision would have to be based on a reading of whether more coronavirus cases were likely in the coming weeks.

“You’re reaching the stage now where we have to decide whether it’s going to get worse or whether it’s going to hold at the current levels,” Mr Ellis said.

“This is in essence a procedural matter, but as a local authority we have to always keep in mind the impact that a serious outbreak of coronavirus might have on our local health services, on our social services.”

Mr Ellis said that it was vital to take all necessary measures to prevent any possible spread of coronavirus at the earliest possible opportunity.

In addition to the particular risk that the virus poses to the elderly or to those with underlying health conditions, Mr Ellis stressed that a significant outbreak could have a serious impact on key services such as the NHS and on social care.

“The health service is extremely efficient. It runs at really high capacity. We don’t have lots of empty rooms standing by.

“On a normal day-to-day basis this is a good thing, but in extraordinary circumstances, which cornonavirus could bring, it may be extremely difficult for the NHS to find that extra capacity to respond.”

Mr Ellis added that measures taken now to help prevent the possible spread of the virus were far more preferable to the potential scenario of infections arriving at the most difficult locations in which to respond.

“Think about places like care homes,” he said. “It’s simply not possible for staff to self-isolate there - they need to provide round-the-clock care.”