Postpone the May Holyrood elections – that’s the call from East Ayrshire Council, who passed a motion calling on the Scottish Government to consider rescheduling the upcoming vote.

It is believed that if the elections go ahead this would be in conflict with coronavirus suppression efforts and could lead to an increase in cases.

The returning officer for East Ayrshire, council chief executive Eddie Fraser said in a letter to the Electoral Management Board that: “We would absolutely question the wisdom of continuing to proceed with the event as currently scheduled having due regard to the current prevailing circumstances.

“In essence it simply feels like a significant health and safety risk is being assumed unnecessarily at a national level and, further, that the current position is so precarious and susceptible to further deterioration that it makes no sense to opt to continue with the event at this time.”

The matter was discussed at a full-council meeting last week on Thursday, February 25. The motion was brought by the leader of the Conservative and Unionist group in the council, Kilmarnock West and Crosshouse councillor, Tom Cook.

The motion was supported by all Conservative, Labour, and Independent councillors, with the SNP block of the council voting against it.

Councillor Cook also highlighted the issue that venues used as polling stations are currently housing vaccination centres, such as the Galleon Leisure Centre.

He said: “Repurposing them for election use could disrupt the vaccination programme. It would seem prudent therefore to delay the election for a period to allow the vaccination programme to be further progressed and clarity around the easing of restrictions is made available.

“Unless a decision is made soon on delaying the election considerable public expenditure will have to be incurred which would be wasted if the election was called off at short notice.”