Councils Face Frantic Race to Organise May Elections After Government Policy Reversal
Local authorities across England are engaged in what election administrators describe as a "race against time" to organise reinstated local elections scheduled for May, following a dramatic government policy U-turn. The deputy chief executive of the professional body representing election administrators has revealed that returning officers and electoral staff have lost "months" of essential planning time due to the sudden reversal.
Months of Planning Lost in Election Chaos
Laura Lock, deputy chief executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators, expressed extreme disappointment at the situation. "Returning officers, electoral registration officers and electoral administration teams have lost months of essential planning time for reinstated May 7 elections," she stated. "Local elections are highly complex – far more so than a general election, for instance. These teams now face an uphill struggle to catch up to where they should be."
Lock explained that election teams had paused their planning activities to avoid unnecessary costs when the elections were originally postponed, meaning they must now play frantic catch-up in a compressed timeframe. She also noted that the situation would particularly affect district councils, as they are responsible for running local elections.
Government U-Turn Triggers Widespread Criticism
The government announced its policy reversal on Monday, having previously informed dozens of councils that they would not hold ballots this year ahead of planned local government reorganisation. Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Steve Reed acknowledged that councils had voiced "genuine concerns" about delivering elections under the original timetable.
The U-turn came after legal advice prompted by a judicial review challenge brought by Reform UK, with the government agreeing to cover the party's legal fees estimated at approximately £100,000. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has called for Reed's resignation over the matter, stating at a party rally: "I think if a minister tried to deprive nearly five million people of a vote, that he's acted illegally, I think Steve Reed should resign."
Devolution Plans Thrown Into Doubt
Conservative leader of Suffolk County Council Matthew Hicks raised significant questions about the government's wider devolution agenda following the reversal. "Throughout this process, ministers and civil servants have consistently expressed confidence in their position. That makes the current situation all the more surprising," he said.
Hicks continued: "Local councils across the country are experiencing whiplash as major Government decisions shift repeatedly and without warning. This uncertainty makes it almost impossible to plan effectively, deliver stability for residents, or provide clarity for our staff and partners." He specifically questioned how achievable plans to merge councils into single unitary authorities would be following the electoral chaos.
Cross-Party Criticism and Concern
The decision has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. Conservative councillor Richard Wright, chair of the District Councils' Network, stated: "Council officers, councillors and local electorates will be bewildered by the unrelenting changes to the electoral timetable." He added that affected councils now face "an unnecessary race against time to ensure elections proceed smoothly and fairly."
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described the situation as "predictable chaos from a useless Government that cannot make basic decisions," while the Conservatives have written to Reed demanding he share the evidence base for the original decision to delay elections and whether "party political considerations" influenced it.
Affected Areas and Financial Support
City councils in Lincoln, Exeter, Norwich, Peterborough and Preston were among those where ballots were originally not scheduled for May 7, alongside several districts including Cannock Chase, Harlow, Welwyn Hatfield and West Lancashire. Polling day had also been postponed for county council voters in East Sussex, West Sussex, Norfolk and Suffolk.
The government has announced that approximately £63 million will be made available to local authorities undergoing changes to support election delivery. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government stated: "Following legal advice, the Government has withdrawn its original decision to postpone 30 local elections in May. Providing certainty to councils about their local elections is now the most crucial thing and all local elections will now go ahead in May 2026."
Despite the government's attempt to provide clarity, election administrators and council leaders remain deeply concerned about their ability to deliver smooth, fair elections within the compressed timeframe, with many questioning the long-term implications for local government reorganisation and devolution plans.
