63 Council Areas Could Delay Elections Until 2027 in Major Shake-Up

Millions of voters across England could see their next scheduled local elections postponed for a second time under sweeping changes to local government structures.

Government Announces Potential Postponement

Ministers revealed on Thursday that 63 council areas have been given the option to delay elections currently set for May 2026 until 2027. This follows previous delays, with some areas having already pushed back votes by a year. The move is part of a wider drive to reorganise town halls by scrapping some two-tier council systems in favour of larger, unitary authorities.

Local Government Minister Alison McGovern told the House of Commons that the government had listened to councils expressing concerns about their capacity. She stated that some authorities lack the resources to manage both complex reorganisation and the significant demands of running elections for councils that may soon be abolished.

"We have listened to councils who’ve told us of the challenges they face reorganising while preparing for resource-intensive elections for areas which may shortly be abolished," Ms McGovern told MPs. "Several have submitted requests to postpone elections so it is therefore right we let them have their say so they can focus their time and energy on providing vital services while planning for reorganisation."

Reorganisation of 'Wasteful' Systems

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has labelled the existing two-tier authority model as "wasteful". The reorganisation aims to reduce the number of councillors and bring key services like housing, planning, and roads under a single roof to improve efficiency and service delivery.

Currently, 204 councils across 21 areas are undergoing this restructuring. Of these, the 63 councils with elections scheduled for May 2026 have been invited to submit their views on a potential delay. They have until 15 January to respond, though some may still choose to hold votes as originally planned in May.

Political Reaction and Concerns

The announcement sparked immediate political debate. Conservative minister Paul Holmes accused the government of making the decision because it was "afraid of fighting elections" ahead of a challenging set of local votes expected in May 2026. Ms McGovern rebutted this, insisting the government's position remained that "elections go ahead unless there is a strong justification."

Further criticism came from Labour's Florence Eshalomi, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee. She expressed dissatisfaction with the timing of the statement, made on the final parliamentary day before recess when many MPs had already travelled to their constituencies. "This is an issue of grave importance to so many members right across this chamber, many of them will not be here today to be able to raise their concerns with the minister," she said.

The full list of council areas that could opt to delay their elections includes: