Twenty councils in England ask for election delays

About a third of eligible councils in England have asked to postpone their elections due in May, according to BBC research.

Last month ministers told 63 local authorities they would authorise delays to the polls if there were “genuine concerns” about delivering them alongside the government’s overhaul of local government.

Twenty-one councils have asked to postpone their ballots ahead of a Thursday deadline, whilst 34 will not, and eight are yet to confirm their position.

Ministers are expected to approve the requests in the coming days.

The government’s rejig of local government will replace the two-tier system of district and county councils that exists in many parts of England with new ‘unitary’ councils responsible for delivering all councils services in their area.

It means some of the councils up for election this year will be folded into new unitary councils in 2027 or 2028, so councillors could only be in office for a year.

The BBC contacted the 63 councils who could request a delay to their May elections to ask for their decision.

Among those to say they will ask for a postponement are East and West Sussex County Councils, Suffolk County Council, Exeter City Council, Preston City Council and Peterborough City Council.

Other smaller councils to request a delay include Cheltenham, Hastings, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Ipswich, and Redditch Borough Councils.

Most wanting a delay are Labour-led, but three are Conservative-led and one is Liberal Democrat led. Some of the councils that have asked for a delay are run by more than one party, or independents.

Ministers say their reorganisation of local council will be the biggest in a generation, removing duplication and simplifying local government.

Writing for The Times, Local Government Secretary Steve Reed said: “Running a series of elections for short-lived zombie councils will be costly, time consuming and will take scarce resources away from front-line services like fixing pot holes and social care.”

The Conservatives and the Lib Dems have both criticised Labour’s decision to allow elections to be postponed, whilst Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice told the BBC that authorities wanting a delay were “terrified” his party would win.

Conservative shadow local government secretary accused Labour of “running scared of voters,” with the government struggling in the polls.

“We are clear that these elections should go ahead. Ministers should treat voters with respect instead of disdain, stop undermining our democratic system and let the people of this country make their own decisions,” he added.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who has previously suggested delaying elections breached human rights, called for a change in the law so “ministers cannot simply delay elections at the stroke of a pen”.

He said: “Both Labour and the Conservatives are running scared of the electorate, allowing councillors to serve terms of up to seven years without a democratic mandate.”

Despite their parties’ official positions, the Conservative leaders of Suffolk, West Sussex, and East Sussex County Councils, and the Liberal Democrat controlled Cheltenham Borough Council are among those requesting a delay.

Protests erupted at some councils over decisions to ask for a delay, with police called to a meeting in Redditch where the Labour-run district council in Worcestershire discussed asking for a postponement.

Some councils have yet to announce their decision.

The Conservative leader of Essex County Council told the government there was “huge strain on our systems” on top of the planned restructure.

But he said it was up to the government whether this year’s elections would go ahead, and said he would not call for a delay.