Government Abandons Postponement of May Council Elections After Legal Challenge
The Government has executed a significant U-turn, abandoning its controversial plans to postpone elections across 30 councils this May. This reversal comes directly in response to a legal challenge mounted by Reform UK and subsequent advice from government lawyers.
Legal Pressure Forces Withdrawal of Postponement Decision
Local Government Secretary Steve Reed had previously approved proposals to delay the local polls, citing the need to facilitate a major reorganisation of local authorities. However, in a letter dispatched to council leaders on Monday, the Cabinet minister confirmed he was withdrawing this decision "in light of recent legal advice." The Government has formally notified the High Court of this withdrawal.
"I recognise that many of the local councils undergoing reorganisation voiced genuine concerns about the pressure they are under as we seek to deliver the most ambitious reforms of local government in a generation," Mr Reed stated. He announced that £63 million would be made available to support local authorities undergoing these structural changes and pledged that officials would contact affected councils to assess if further practical support is required.
Reform UK Claims Victory and Calls for Minister's Resignation
The Government has agreed to pay Reform UK's legal costs following the party's successful challenge to the initial postponement. Party leader Nigel Farage hailed the reversal as a victory for both his party and "democracy in this country." He went further, suggesting that Steve Reed should resign from his ministerial position.
"What I do think now is the minister, Steve Reed, has clearly acted illegally, and given that the Government's now given in, knew they'd lose to us in court, I think Steve Reed's position as a minister should now be debated," Mr Farage declared during a visit to Romford. He added, "(It) seems to me that if a Government minister does something illegal, they really ought to resign."
When questioned about the potential cost to taxpayers from both legal fees and holding the elections, Farage was defiant. "The idea I should apologise because it costs money to hold elections in a country where one-and-a-quarter million people died in two world wars so that we could be a free democracy, I won't even begin to apologise," he stated, emphasising the fundamental democratic principle of regular elections.
Widespread Political Condemnation and Calls for Reform
The Government's U-turn has drawn sharp criticism from across the political spectrum. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch described the situation as "predictable chaos from a useless Government that cannot make basic decisions," adding, "Even the simple stuff that should be business as usual gets messed up."
Shadow local government secretary Sir James Cleverly dismissed Labour's handling of the affair as a "joke" and asserted that Mr Reed's credibility was "now completely gone." Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the Government had been "forced into a humiliating U-turn" and argued it should be stripped of its power to "cancel elections on a whim." He revealed that the Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment to change the law, aiming to protect the public's right to vote by statute.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski expressed pleasure at "another Government U-turn," describing the attempted delay as part of "a disturbing authoritarian trend from this caretaker Prime Minister."
Elections Proceed as Planned Across Multiple Authorities
With the postponement abandoned, all local elections will now proceed as originally scheduled in May 2026. This includes city council elections in Lincoln, Exeter, Norwich, Peterborough, and Preston. Several district councils, such as Cannock Chase, Harlow, Welwyn Hatfield, and West Lancashire, will also hold their ballots. Furthermore, polling day has been reinstated for county council voters in East Sussex, West Sussex, Norfolk, and Suffolk.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) confirmed the position: "Following legal advice, the Government has withdrawn its original decision to postpone 30 local elections in May. Providing certainty to councils about their local elections is now the most crucial thing and all local elections will now go ahead in May 2026."
The legal proceedings had seen Reform UK seek a court order to temporarily block the Government from changing the election date pending a full hearing. The party had requested the full claim be determined before the end of March, when official notices of election are published. Another hearing had been scheduled for Thursday prior to the Government's withdrawal.
