The government has reinstated the May 2026 election date for 30 district, unitary, and county authorities following a shift in legal advice. By abandoning its previous plan to delay the vote, councils will now head to the polls as initially intended.
In January, the government initially confirmed that elections in 26 district and unitary councils and four county councils would be delayed until 2027. This move was attributed to ongoing developments regarding Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
Following a legal challenge by Reform UK, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published a letter signaling a formal U-turn. The document noted that “recent legal advice” prompted the minister to reconsider the government’s stance.
The letter states:
“The Secretary State invited the housing minister, who was not involved in the initial decision-making, to reconsider the position afresh on a very urgent basis recognising the pressing timescales involved. The housing minister has decided that the elections should proceed in May 2026.”
The letter further acknowledges that councils undergoing reorganisation have voiced concerns regarding operational pressure. To mitigate this, the government confirmed it will provide up to £63 million in additional funding to 21 local areas.
Sector reaction
Cllr Richard Wright, chair of the District Councils’ Network: “Council officers, councillors and local electorates will be bewildered by the unrelenting changes to the electoral timetable.
“Councils were assured by the Government that elections could be legally cancelled but now it seems ministers have come to the opposite conclusion. It’s the Government, not councils that have acted in good faith, which should bear responsibility for this mess which impacts on people’s faith in our cherished local democracy.”
“The councils affected face an unnecessary race against time to ensure elections proceed smoothly and fairly, with polling stations booked and electoral staff available.”
Darren Hughes, chief executive at Electoral Reform Society: “The fundamental principle of democracy is that people get to regularly express their view on the politicians who make decisions that affect them. So it is welcome that the government has today reversed the decision to postpone elections in 30 councils.”
“Elections are not an either/or when it comes to councils running public services; they are the vital democratic mandate politicians need to run those public services, so it is right that voters will get their say at the ballot box in a few months.”
“There is a question now over the process by which elections are postponed in the future. Last month we said the process needed to be re-examined and the events of this week have only strengthened that case.”
