Twenty councils in England ask for election delays
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- Twenty-one out of 63 eligible English councils have requested to postpone their May elections due to challenges in managing polls alongside a major government local government reorganisation.
- The reorganisation will replace many district and county councils with new unitary councils by 2027 or 2028, causing some councils up for election this year to potentially have only one-year terms.
- Most councils seeking delays are Labour-led, though some Conservative and Liberal Democrat-led councils have also requested postponements, sparking criticism from opposition parties accusing Labour of avoiding elections.
- Local Government Secretary Steve Reed defended the delays, citing cost and resource concerns, while protests and police involvement occurred at some council meetings discussing postponements.
- Some councils have yet to decide on election delays, with
