Local Government Secretary Steve Reed has officially confirmed that twenty-nine council elections across England will be postponed this May as part of the Government's ongoing plan to reorganise local authorities. The announcement was made during a statement to the House of Commons, where Mr Reed provided detailed reasoning behind the significant decision.
Majority of Polls to Proceed as Scheduled
Mr Reed emphasised that the "vast majority" of local elections will still take place in May as originally planned. He clarified that of the 136 local elections scheduled across England for May, only a specific subset of twenty-nine will be affected by this postponement. This decision follows extensive consultation and consideration of numerous representations from authorities.
Careful Consideration of Multiple Factors
The Local Government Secretary explained that he had "carefully considered arguments made about capacity, reorganisation and democracy" before reaching his conclusion. Mr Reed expressed gratitude to everyone who took the time to submit their views during the consultation process, noting that more than 350 representations were received from authorities with elections due in May and other interested parties.
"I can now confirm my decisions to the House – I have decided to bring forward legislation to postpone 29 elections," Mr Reed told Members of Parliament. He further indicated that he has deposited a comprehensive list of the twenty-nine postponed elections in the Commons Library for transparency and reference purposes.
One Further Representation Under Consideration
Mr Reed revealed that he received one additional representation on the morning of his announcement, which he will consider separately before reporting back to Parliament with a final decision. This demonstrates the ongoing nature of the consultation process and the Government's commitment to thorough examination of all relevant factors.
The Secretary of State noted that "in all other areas, council elections will go ahead as planned, many having offered no evidence that it would delay reorganisation." This statement underscores the selective nature of the postponements, which target only those elections where authorities have demonstrated that proceeding would interfere with reorganisation efforts.
The announcement represents a significant development in local government planning, balancing electoral democracy with administrative restructuring needs. The postponed elections will be rescheduled as part of the broader local authority reorganisation initiative, though specific dates for these delayed polls have not yet been announced.
