In a move that has drawn significant criticism, the UK government has announced the postponement of local elections in 29 council areas across England. This decision, confirmed by Steve Reed, the local government secretary, will affect over 4 million voters, with some areas facing a two-year delay in going to the polls.
The affected councils include those in Lincoln, Exeter, Norwich, Peterborough, and Preston, as well as several district councils such as Cannock Chase, Harlow, Welwyn Hatfield, and West Lancashire. Additionally, county councils in East Sussex, West Sussex, Norfolk, and Suffolk will also see their elections delayed.
This comes on top of a previous decision to postpone elections in nine council areas in 2025, amid the ongoing reorganisation of local government in England. The move has been condemned by Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform UK party, who has accused Keir Starmer of “colluding with Labour and Tory councils to cancel 30 council elections on 7 May”. Farage’s party is challenging the decision in a judicial review, arguing that “millions of people’s right to vote has been taken away”.
The situation has also been questioned by Florence Eshalomi, the Labour chair of the committee on housing, communities and local government, who stated that “democracy is not an inefficiency that should be cut out” during the reorganisation process. Eshalomi expressed concern that councils may have to choose between frontline services or elections.
In response, Steve Reed has stated that he has “imposed nothing” and has tried to secure a “locally led approach”. He also emphasised that the majority of local elections will go ahead as planned, with only some areas facing delays. Reed argued that the decision was not politically motivated, saying, “No messing about, no playing politics, just getting on with the job of making local government work better for local people.”
The government’s plan to replace the current two-tier system of local government with a set of single-tier “unitary” authorities has been cited as a key factor behind the election delays. Reed has stated that once the new unitary councils are agreed, elections will be held in 2027.
This decision has sparked a heated debate, with concerns raised about the impact on democratic participation and the potential for political manipulation. As the situation continues to unfold, it remains to be seen how the government will address the criticisms and ensure a fair and transparent electoral process for local communities across England.
