The government has announced that local elections could be delayed again, as merging councils lack the capacity for reorganisation. Sixty-three council areas may opt to postpone elections until 2027, after some were already delayed until May 2026 due to the combination of two-tier authorities into single unitary councils.
Earlier this month, elections for new mayors in four parts of England—Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, Hampshire and the Solent, and Sussex and Brighton—were postponed to 2028. On Thursday, local government minister Alison McGovern told the Commons that councils have voiced concerns about their capacity to manage reorganisation alongside elections.
Opposition parties accused Labour of being 'scared of voters'. Conservative shadow minister Paul Holmes compared the government to the Grinch, while James Cleverly, shadow local government secretary, called it 'another broken promise'. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey described it as a 'stitch-up' to deny people their votes.
McGovern emphasised that Whitehall will listen to local leaders and will not impose delays where councils see no reason. Ministers have invited 63 areas to submit their views by 15 January.
