Councils face ‘uphill struggle’ to be ready for local elections
11 minutes agoDamian GrammaticasPolitical correspondent
EPAClaire Keenan
Local election administrators have warned that councils face “an uphill struggle” to be ready in time for the May local elections after the government reversed its plan to delay some votes.
Local Government Secretary Steve Reed had approved delays in 30 council elections in England until 2027.
Reacting to the news, the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) said it was “extremely disappointed” that months of “essential planning time” had been lost.
The government abandoned plans to postpone council elections after advice was given that the move could be unlawful. It followed a legal challenge brought by Reform UK.
The government argued that some councils were worried about the cost of running elections for authorities which are due to be abolished in a major reorganisation of local government.
Local elections in Norfolk, Suffolk, Blackburn, Lincoln, Thurrock and two dozen more parts of England, will now take place on 7 May, and about £63 million will be made available to local authorities who are undergoing changes.
Some organisers say they were still preparing anyway, aware there was a legal challenge to the government’s decision to postpone votes in their areas, which was due to be heard in the High Court on Thursday.
The AEA’s deputy chief executive Laura Lock said returning officers, electoral registration officers, and electoral administration teams would be affected.
“These teams now face an uphill struggle to catch up to where they should be,” she said.
The AEA represents electoral officials in the UK, and provides training.
Matthew Hicks, leader of Tory-run Suffolk County Council said: “Local councils across the country are experiencing whiplash as major government decisions shift repeatedly and without warning.”
Hicks said the uncertainty impacted on the ability “to plan effectively” and “deliver stability for residents”.
Meanwhile, the leader of Labour-run Thurrock Council Lynn Worrall said it was “disappointing that this decision has been reversed so late in the day”.
The announcement made on Monday was welcomed by opposition parties, who had called the delays undemocratic.
In celebration of his win Farage, writing on X, said: “We took this Labour government to court and won.
The government has agreed to pay Reform’s legal costs relating to the proceedings, which a party source said would be at least £100,000.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said his party “fought tooth and nail to stop this stitch-up and the government has been forced into a humiliating U-turn”.
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said it was “predictable chaos from a useless government that cannot make basic decisions”.