Councils face 'uphill struggle' after elections delay U-turn

In a significant reversal of policy, the UK government announced on Monday 16 February 2026 that all local elections scheduled for 7 May 2026 will now go ahead as originally planned.

The U-turn follows a legal challenge by Reform UK, which argued that the government's plan to postpone elections in 30 council areas was unlawful. Local Government Secretary Steve Reed confirmed the decision after receiving fresh legal advice, just days before a scheduled High Court hearing.

🏛️ The "Zombie Council" Debate

The controversy began when Steve Reed initially allowed 30 councils in England—including areas like Norfolk, Suffolk, and parts of Lancashire—to delay their ballots until 2027.

The Government's Original Case: Ministers argued that holding elections for "short-lived zombie councils" scheduled for abolition or merger during the current local government reorganisation (LGR) would be a waste of money and administrative capacity.
The Legal Challenge: Nigel Farage’s Reform UK launched a judicial review, claiming the move was an "authoritarian" attempt to prevent 4.6 million people from voting.
The Settlement: To avoid a defeat in court, the government withdrew the secondary legislation and agreed to pay Reform UK’s legal fees, estimated at over £100,000.

⚠️ Councils Facing an "Uphill Battle"

The Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) has warned that the sudden reversal has left electoral teams in a "completely distraught" state.

Lost Planning Time: Teams have lost months of essential preparation. Rebooking polling stations, hiring temporary staff, and ordering tonnes of specialised paper for millions of ballot papers must now be done in just 11 weeks.
The 47 Teams Affected: While only 30 council elections were technically "cancelled," the ripple effect impacts 47 different electoral teams, as district councils often run the logistics for overlapping county elections.
Emergency Funding: To help manage the "race against time," the government has announced a £63 million cash injection for the 21 local areas undergoing reorganisation to bolster their capacity.

🗳️ Political Stakes (7 May 2026)

The decision to proceed means both major parties are now defending more territory than expected:

Labour: Defending 2,558 seats.
Conservatives: Protecting 1,362 seats.

"These teams now face an uphill struggle to catch up to where they should be. They have paused planning to avoid unnecessary cost, but this means they are now playing catch up." — Laura Lock, Deputy Chief Executive of the AEA