Starmer's Government Forced into U-Turn on Council Election Delays
Sir Keir Starmer's administration has abandoned its controversial plans to postpone local elections across 30 councils this May, following warnings that the move would be illegal. This represents yet another humiliating policy reversal for the prime minister, who has faced a series of climbdowns since taking office.
Legal Advice Forces Government Retreat
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed on Monday that it was withdrawing the proposal to delay polls affecting more than 4.5 million voters. A spokesperson cited "new legal advice" as the reason for the abrupt change of direction, which had been intended to facilitate a major reorganisation of local authorities.
Local Government Secretary Steve Reed had previously approved the postponement, but the government has now completely reversed course. In a further embarrassment, ministers have agreed to pay the legal costs incurred by Reform UK, which had launched a legal challenge against the proposed delay.
Reform UK Claims Victory in Democracy Battle
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage hailed the government's retreat as a victory for both his party and democratic principles. He suggested that Mr. Reed should consider resigning over the affair, arguing that the minister had "clearly acted illegally."
"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 told journalists during a visit to Romford.
When questioned about the potential costs to taxpayers from both the legal fees and holding elections that were due for postponement, Mr. 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.
Local Authorities Express Frustration and Concern
The government's about-face has drawn sharp criticism from local authority leaders across England. Kay Mason Billig, leader of Conservative-run Norfolk County Council, accused Sir Keir's administration of "wasting everyone's time" with its indecision.
Matthew Hicks, leader of Suffolk County Council, said local authorities were "experiencing whiplash" from government decisions that made it "almost impossible" to plan effectively for residents. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for East Sussex County Council warned that the authority's workload would "intensify" with the "added demand" of organising a vote at short notice.
Elections to Proceed as Originally Scheduled
All local elections will now proceed as originally scheduled in May 2026. Affected authorities included city councils in Lincoln, Exeter, Norwich, Peterborough and Preston, alongside several districts such as Cannock Chase, Harlow, Welwyn Hatfield and West Lancashire. County council elections in East Sussex, West Sussex, Norfolk and Suffolk will also go ahead as planned.
In a letter to council leaders, Housing Secretary Steve Reed suggested the government could offer "practical support" to local authorities following the reversal, alongside making £62 million available to authorities undergoing structural changes. "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," he wrote.
Broader Political Implications and Criticism
The latest U-turn comes amid ongoing turmoil within the government, which has been characterised by numerous policy reversals ranging from the watering down of flagship benefits legislation to major changes on controversial winter fuel cuts.
The local elections are viewed by many within Labour as a crucial deadline for Sir Keir Starmer to demonstrate progress, with the prime minister potentially facing leadership challenges if the party performs poorly. Most councils that had requested delays were Labour-led, though some Conservative and Liberal Democrat authorities were also affected.
The Electoral Commission had previously expressed concerns about further delays to local elections, arguing that capacity constraints do not constitute legitimate reasons to postpone long-planned polls. Chief Executive Vijay Rangarajan warned that the government's initial move created "unprecedented" uncertainty and risked damaging public confidence.
Opposition Parties Condemn Government Handling
Conservative MP Kemi Badenoch described the situation as "predictable chaos from a useless government that cannot make basic decisions." She noted that Conservatives had opposed the move to delay council elections for a second consecutive year, arguing that while a one-year delay for reorganisation might be acceptable, "two years was always too much."
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said the government had been "forced into a humiliating U-turn" after reversing its decision. The episode has further damaged the government's credibility and raised questions about its ability to implement its agenda effectively.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government stated: "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."
