The English local elections - What’s going on and who gets to vote?

By Erin Eisenhart Earlier this month the Government confirmed it would delay elections for 29 councils that were due to take place this May, ending months of speculation about where voters would be heading to the polls this year.

Ministers say the delay is intended to allow the process of Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) in England to continue, and to avoid electing councillors to authorities that may soon be abolished or reshaped. Under LGR, the Government plans to scrap the current two-tier county and district council model and replace it with new unitary authorities, with the aim of cutting duplication, streamlining services and simplifying how local Government works.

Councils that were scheduled to hold elections in May 2026 were invited to request postponement on the basis that it would free up capacity to support reorganisation. Many said that running elections only months before abolition risked confusing voters and wasting money, and in a number of cases the Government accepted those requests.

Steve Reed, the Communities Secretary, has insisted that the ‘vast majority’ of elections are still going ahead, while ministers have leaned heavily on the cost argument, claiming the delays could save tens of millions of pounds.

In five areas, the postponements come on top of elections that were already delayed last year, meaning some councillors could serve terms of up to seven years. The legislation to formalise the delays has yet to come before Parliament, so the final numbers could still change.

Unsurprisingly, the moves have sparked anger across the political spectrum.

The Conservatives have accused Labour of ‘cowardice’, suggesting poor national polling and the fact many of the postponed councils are Labour run is driving the decision. It is however worth pointing out, that several Conservative controlled authorities have asked for delays.

Reform UK has gone further, launching a legal challenge in the High Court, with hearings scheduled for 19 and 20 February. For Reform, these elections were meant to be a crucial staging post on its path towards Government, and the party had been hoping to make significant gains.

The Liberal Democrats, traditionally strong performers in local elections, have also opposed the move, urging the Government to ‘stop the stitch-up’.

Around 4.5 million voters are affected by the postponements, and the political consequences cut in several directions.

Labour avoids some potentially awkward contests at a time when national polling looks fragile but risks alienating voters who were drifting towards Reform or the Greens.

The Conservatives are also spared elections in several councils where they were facing pressure from both Reform and the Liberal Democrats, particularly in parts of the South East such as East Sussex.

For Reform, the frustration is obvious. A number of councils that will now not vote until 2027, including Lincoln, Norwich, Ipswich, Preston and Peterborough, had been high on its target list. With momentum central to its electoral strategy, being forced to wait another year does matter.

While ministers insist the impact for voters will be limited, the implications for national politics are harder to dismiss. May’s elections are a key moment for Labour, and the speculation around Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership will only intensify if the party performs badly. A set of poor results in England, combined with losses in Scotland and the possibility that Labour could lose control of the Welsh Government for the first time since devolution began, will certainly focus minds and increase calls for change among Labour MPs.

For more information on what this year in politics could mean for you and your organisation, get in touch with the Connect Group team at info@connectpa.co.uk

Here is the full list of the councils where legislation will be brought forward to postpone elections;

• Adur District Council

• Basildon Borough Council

• Blackburn with Darwen Council

• Burnley Borough Council

• Cannock Chase District Council

• Cheltenham Borough Council

• Chorley Borough Council

• City of Lincoln Council

• Crawley Borough Council

• East Sussex County Council

• Exeter City Council

• Harlow District Council

• Hastings Borough Council

• Hyndburn Borough Council

• Ipswich Borough Council

• Norfolk County Council

• Norwich City Council

• Pendle Borough Council

• Peterborough City Council

• Preston City Council

• Redditch Borough Council

• Rugby Borough Council

• Stevenage Borough Council

• Suffolk County Council

• Tamworth Borough Council

• Thurrock Council

• Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council

• West Lancashire Borough Council

• West Sussex County Council

• Worthing Borough Council

Elections that are going ahead:

• London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Council

• London Borough of Barnet Council

• Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

• Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

• London Borough of Bexley Council

• Birmingham City Council

• Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council

• City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council

• London Borough of Brent Council

• Brentwood Borough Council

• London Borough of Bromley Council

• Broxbourne Borough Council

• Bury Metropolitan Borough Council

• Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

• Cambridge City Council

• London Borough of Camden Council

• Cherwell District Council

• Colchester City Council

• Coventry City Council

• London Borough of Croydon Council

• Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council

• London Borough of Ealing Council

• East Surrey Council

• Eastleigh Borough Council

• London Borough of Ealing Council

• Epping Forest District Council

• Essex County Council

• Fareham Borough Council

• Gateshead Council

• Gosport Borough Council

• London Borough of Greenwich Council

• London Borough of Hackney Council

• Halton Borough Council

• London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham Council

• Hampshire County Council

• London Borough of Haringey Council

• London Borough of Harrow Council

• Hart District Council

• Hartlepool Borough Council

• Havant Borough Council

• London Borough of Havering Council

• London Borough of Hillingdon Council

• London Borough of Hounslow Council

• Kingston upon Hull City Council

• Huntingdonshire District Council

• Isle of Wight Council

• London Borough of Islington Council

• London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

• London Borough of Kingston upon Thames

• Kirklees Council

• Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

• London Borough of Lambeth Council

• Leeds City Council

• Lewisham London Borough Council

• Manchester City Council

• Merton London Borough Council

• Milton Keynes City Council

• Newcastle City Council

• Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council

• Newham London Borough Council

• North East Lincolnshire Council

• North Tyneside Council

• Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council

• Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council

• Oxford City Council

• Plymouth City Council

• Portsmouth City Council

• Reading Borough Council

• London Borough of Redbridge Council

• London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Council

• Rochdale Borough Council

• Rochford District Council

• Rushmoor Borough Council

• Salford City Council

• Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

• Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council

• Sheffield City Council

• Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council

• South Cambridgeshire District Council

• South Tyneside Council

• Southampton City Council

• Southend-on-Sea City Council

• London Borough of Southwark Council

• St Albans City and District Council

• St Helens Borough Council

• Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

• Sunderland City Council

• London Borough of Sutton Council

• Swindon Borough Council

• Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

• Three Rivers District Council

• London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council

• Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council

• Tunbridge Wells Borough Council

• Wakefield Council

• Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council

• London Borough of Waltham Forest Council

• London Borough of Wandsworth Council

• Watford Borough Council

• West Oxfordshire District Council

• West Surrey Council

• London Borough of Westminster Council

• Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council

• Winchester City Council

• Wokingham Borough Council

• City of Wolverhampton Council