Local Government Secretary Steve Reed has postponed 29 council elections scheduled for May as part of the Government's plan to reorganise English local authorities. The decision affects cities including Lincoln, Exeter, Norwich, Peterborough and Preston, though the "vast majority" of the 136 local elections across England will proceed as planned.
Reed announced the postponements to MPs in the Commons on Thursday after considering more than 350 representations from councils. New single-tier "unitary" authority polls will replace the affected elections in 2027, as the Government moves to streamline England's complex two-tier local government system.
The postponements also impact districts including Cannock Chase, Harlow, Welwyn Hatfield and West Lancashire, as well as county councils in East Sussex, West Sussex, Norfolk and Suffolk. The Government will extend councillors' terms in these areas until the new unitary elections.
Reed told MPs: "I have carefully considered arguments made about capacity, reorganisation and democracy, and I'm grateful to everyone who took the time to express their views." He added: "In all other areas, council elections will go ahead as planned, many having offered no evidence that it would delay reorganisation in their areas."
Political clash over decision
Conservative shadow housing, communities and local government secretary James Cleverly accused Reed of political manoeuvring, claiming the minister pressured councils to request cancellations. "Why did he write to councils asking them to ask him to cancel the elections? And why, when they didn't give him the answer that he wanted, did he write to them again asking basically the same question? Why was his department putting pressure on councils to ask for cancelations as late as last night?" Cleverly challenged in the Commons.
He continued: "It's because he wants to shift the blame. He wants to say 'I didn't make them do it'." He added: "He wants a political gotcha."
Reed defended his approach, telling MPs: "To those who say we've cancelled all the elections, we haven't. To those who say it's all Labour councils, it isn't." He emphasised: "No messing about, no playing politics, just getting on with the job of making local government work better for local people."
The reorganisation aims to replace the current system where some areas have "two sets of councillors, two sets of chief executives and two sets of financial directors" with streamlined unitary authorities. Essex County Council, Hampshire County Council and Isle of Wight Council will hold elections after a year's delay.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
