The Government has confirmed that 30 council elections are set to be delayed.
The Government has confirmed that a total 30 councils have been granted permission to delay their elections this year, depriving millions of Britons of a vote. Confirming the highly controversial move, Local Government Secretary Steve Reed stood by the delays, insisting the “once-in-a-generation” council reorganisation would prove worth it in the long-run.
In total, around 13.7 million Britons will lose the chance to decide who represents them at local government this year. The Department confirmed the delays despite Reform UK’s legal challenge being given the go ahead in the high court earlier this week. A trial date has been set for the end of February, so the delays could still be blocked by the courts.
Steve Reed has confirmed the controversial move (Image: Getty)
Nearly 14 million voters will be denied their say (Image: Getty)
Read a full list of the delayed council elections below:
- Adur District Council (Labour controlled)
- Basildon Borough Council (Labour minority)
- Blackburn with Darwen Council (Labour controlled)
- Burnley Borough Council (No overall control)
- Cannock Chase District Council (Labour controlled)
- Cheltenham Borough Council (Lib Dem controlled)
- Chorley Borough Council (Labour controlled)
- City of Lincoln Council (Labour controlled)
- Crawley Borough Council (Labour controlled)
- East Sussex County Council (Conservative minority)
- Essex County Council (Conservative controlled)
- Exeter City Council (Labour controlled)
- Harlow District Council (Conservative controlled)
- Hastings Borough Council (No overall control)
- Hyndburn Borough Council (Labour controlled)
- Ipswich Borough Council (Labour controlled)
- Norfolk County Council (Conservative controlled)
- Norwich City Council (Labour minority)
- Peterborough City Council (Labour minority)
- Preston City Council (Labour controlled)
- Redditch Borough Council (Labour controlled)
- Rugby Borough Council (Labour minority)
- Stevenage Borough Council (Labour controlled)
- Suffolk County Council (Conservative controlled)
- Tamworth Borough Council (Labour controlled)
- Thurrock Council (Labour controlled)
- Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (No overall control)
- West Lancashire Borough Council (Labour minority)
- West Sussex County Council (Conservative controlled)
- Worthing Borough Council (Labour controlled)
Reform UK launched a legal challenge to block the delay (Image: Getty)
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed said: “This is a once-in-a-generation reform that will transform local government for the better.
“Cutting through two-tier bureaucracy means faster decisions on housing, simpler access to services, and more money going to potholes, tackling crime and caring for older people instead of being lost to duplication. That’s what residents want and that’s what reorganisation will achieve.”
Last week, polling experts suggested that Reform would obliterate Labour in the councils on course to delay their elections.
Sir Keir’s party would lose its majority on more than 10 councils, according to research by JL Partners.
The megapoll of 5,000 voters said that Labour would lose half its seats, and control of six councils. Juast 5% of voters said they backed the delays.
Nigel Farage has accused Labour of behaving like a “banana republic” by moving to cancel the elections, warning that they are “denying democracy”.
He blasted: “This polling proves what we have been saying for a long time – the establishment have cancelled these elections because they know Reform would win them. It demonstrates why The Telegraph’s Campaign for Democracy is so important.”
Electoral commission chief Vijay Rangarajan has criticised the delays (Image: Getty)
In December the independent Electoral Commission launched an unprecedented intervention to demand people have their say.
Chief Executive Vijay Rangarajan warned: “Voters must have a say on those that represent them at local government. We are disappointed by both the timing and substance of the statement. Scheduled elections should as a rule go ahead as planned, and only be postponed in exceptional circumstances.
“We are concerned by the possibility of some council elections in May being postponed, and even more by any further postponement to those which already had been deferred from 2025.”
He added: “As a matter of principle, we do not think that capacity constraints are a legitimate reason for delaying long planned elections.”
“Extending existing mandates risks affecting the legitimacy of local decision making and damaging public confidence.
“There is a clear conflict of interest in asking existing Councils to decide how long it will be before they are answerable to voters.”
