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The government has reversed its earlier decision to postpone 30 council elections in England, following legal advice. Initially, Local Government Secretary Steve Reed had approved the postponements to facilitate a significant restructuring that would abolish some local authorities. These delays were intended to extend the council terms until 2027 to aid the planned reorganisation.
Reform UK challenged the postponement plans in court, with their case scheduled to be heard in the High Court on Thursday. Responding to this, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government announced that the government had withdrawn the decision to delay the elections, citing legal advice as the catalyst for the reversal. Reed informed council leaders in a letter that the government had formally notified the High Court about withdrawing the original postponement.
In an official statement, it was explained that the Secretary of State tasked the housing minister, who was not involved in the initial decision, with urgently reviewing the matter. After reconsideration, the minister decided that the elections should proceed as planned in May 2026. While acknowledging the significant pressures on councils undergoing reorganisation, Reed confirmed that the government would allocate an additional £63 million to support the 21 affected areas.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage celebrated the legal victory on social media, stating, “We took this Labour government to court and won.” He further accused the Labour and Conservative parties of attempting to prevent millions of people from voting, emphasizing that “Only Reform UK fights for democracy.” Additionally, the government has agreed to cover Reform UK’s legal expenses related to the challenge, which are expected to amount to at least £100,000. The broader local government reform aims to replace the existing two-tier system, where district and county councils share responsibilities, with new unitary authorities managing all council services within their regions.
Originally, 136 local elections were scheduled for May across England. Out of these, 63 were eligible for postponement due to local government restructuring, and the government had planned to delay 30 of them. However, Reed confirmed on Monday that all local elections now “will go ahead” as scheduled in May 2026
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