Government Scraps Postponement Plans for 30 Council Elections
In a significant reversal, the Labour government has abandoned its controversial plans to postpone local elections for 30 councils scheduled for May 2026. The decision follows legal advice received after a judicial review challenge mounted by Reform UK, which argued the postponement was undemocratic.
Legal Pressure Forces Major Policy Shift
The Ministry of Housing and Local Government confirmed on Monday that all local elections will now proceed as originally planned in May. "Following legal advice, the government has withdrawn its original decision to postpone 30 local elections in May," an official statement declared. "Providing certainty to councils about their local elections is now the most crucial thing."
This represents a complete U-turn from the government's position just months earlier. In January, Local Government Secretary Steve Reed had confirmed that 29 of the 136 council elections due this year would be delayed until 2027, with one additional council later granted postponement permission.
Original Rationale and Opposition Criticism
The government had initially justified the postponements by citing capacity issues in councils undergoing structural reorganization. Of the 63 councils eligible to apply for delays, 30 were approved for postponement based on their involvement in plans to scrap two-tier authorities and merge them into single unitary councils by 2028.
However, the decision faced immediate criticism from opposition parties and electoral authorities. The Electoral Commission warned that the delays risked "damaging public confidence," while Conservative and Reform UK politicians accused Labour of political motivation.
Tory shadow local government secretary James Cleverly accused Labour of "running scared of voters" amid poor approval ratings, while Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch criticized "U-turn after U-turn after U-turn" from what she called "a useless government that cannot make basic decisions."
Reform UK Claims Victory in Legal Battle
Nigel Farage celebrated the reversal as a victory for his party, writing on social media: "We took this Labour government to court and won. In collusion with the Tories, Keir Starmer tried to stop 4.6 million people voting on May 7th. Only Reform UK fights for democracy."
The government has agreed to pay Reform UK's legal costs following their successful challenge to the postponement decision. This adds financial consequence to the political embarrassment of the policy reversal.
Affected Councils and Their Responses
The 30 councils that were due to have their elections delayed include:
- Adur District Council
- Basildon Borough Council
- Blackburn with Darwen Council
- Burnley Borough Council
- Cannock Chase District Council
- Cheltenham Borough Council
- Chorley Borough Council
- City of Lincoln Council
- Crawley Borough Council
- East Sussex County Council
- Exeter City Council
- Harlow District Council
- Hastings Borough Council
- Hyndburn Borough Council
- Ipswich Borough Council
- Norfolk County Council
- Norwich City Council
- Pendle Borough Council
- Peterborough City Council
- Preston City Council
- Redditch Borough Council
- Rugby Borough Council
- Stevenage Borough Council
- Suffolk County Council
- Tamworth Borough Council
- Thurrock Council
- Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
- West Lancashire Borough Council
- West Sussex County Council
- Worthing Borough Council
Despite the uncertainty, several affected councils reported they had prepared for both scenarios. Norfolk County Council leader Kay Mason Billig, whose Conservative-run authority last held elections in May 2021, noted: "I note the government's change of mind on yet another decision it couldn't stick to – wasting everyone's time. We had already budgeted for and were planning for elections, so we can now proceed."
Similarly, Peterborough City Council confirmed it had also planned for elections proceeding as scheduled.
Financial Support for Reorganizing Councils
In a letter to council leaders on Monday, Steve Reed announced that approximately £62 million will be made available to local authorities undergoing structural changes. "My officials will be in touch with those affected councils to understand if any further practical support will be required," Reed added, attempting to mitigate the disruption caused by the policy reversal.
The episode highlights the challenges facing councils in transition while underscoring the legal and political pressures that forced the government to abandon its postponement plans, ensuring millions of voters will have their say in local democracy this May.
