Education secretary accused of ‘complete lack of knowledge’ over call for polling stations not to be placed in schools

Election officers have accused the education secretary of having a “complete lack of knowledge and understanding” after he called for polling stations not to be placed in schools next month.

Gavin Williamson wrote to returning officers and urged them to find alternative venues for the 12 December election to avoid schools having to cancel nativity plays and Christmas concerts.

But election officers have called the intervention from the minister “unhelpful” and questioned why the letter was only sent out this week as they said most polling stations have already been booked.

The Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA), which represents the officers responsible for running elections, has written to the minister to express their “extreme disappointment”.

The letter challenges Mr Williamson’s assertion that there are alternative venues for polling stations in every community, arguing that it is “simply not the case”, especially in rural areas.

“The simple truth of the matter is that when parliament decided to hold the poll in December, at short notice, significant and unintended consequences followed,” it said.

Earlier this week, Mr Williamson said the government would give funding to councils to help find alternative polling stations to avoid schools having to cancel their traditional festive events.

In a letter, he called for disruption to schools to be kept to “an absolute minimum”.

His plea came after a survey last week revealed hundreds of schools could be forced to change their Christmas events because of the upcoming general election.

About one in 12 primary school teachers have said the election would disturb a scheduled festive activity – such as a nativity play, concert or party, according to a survey by Teacher Tapp.

Jess Phillips, Labour parliamentary candidate for Birmingham Yardley, tweeted that she had been contacted by a parent to say that a primary school “is having to stop their Christmas fete, which was to raise funds because of cuts, because the school will be a polling station”.

The Association of School and College Leaders has suggested it is time to review whether schools are suitable venues to use as polling stations.

But the letter from the AEA to Mr Williamson says: “We have received universally concerned feedback this morning about the complete lack of knowledge and understanding demonstrated in your letter as to how challenging it is to deliver an election at short notice, particularly when parliament set the date of poll in December with all the associated issues a winter election brings.”

The AEA also questioned whether additional costs would actually be reimbursed to councils.  

The letter, signed by AEA chief executive Peter Stanyon, said: “We wait to see how onerous a task that will eventually prove to be as experience has shown that the settlement of claims from previous national polls is a painfully slow and arduous process, with numerous claims for the 2017 parliamentary election still not settled.”

Early findings from a Press Association survey suggest that some councils are considering taking up Mr Williamson’s offer of funding.

Bath and North East Somerset Council said it will be taking up the offer, and that it is attempting to find alternative venues so that schools can remain open on polling day.

Portsmouth City Council said it is considering whether to take up the funding offer. It used 17 schools as polling stations in the 2017 general election and will be using 14 this year.

Additional reporting by PA