Doncaster Council wrote to Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles asking for the “postponement” of next May’s elections, which will see successful candidates take office for just a year. The council refused to say why it made the request. But Ukip, which opposed the move, said it was a cost-cutting bid as the authority seeks to find £109m of savings. “We believe that any cost savings would be tiny,” Ukip regional organiser Jane Collins said. A spokesman for Mr Pickles said: “The Government has decided not to allow Doncaster council to cancel local elections in 2014. “It has rightly concluded that this would unfairly deprive the residents of Doncaster of their democratic rights.”