full list of councils that are postponing their local elections

29 local councils will have their local elections delayed,including West Sussex (Picture: Getty Images)

Millions of people will not vote in local elections as planned this year,after 29 councils were allowed to postpone.

The move comes amid Sir Keir Starmer’s rejigging of local government,which aims to ‘streamline’ the system and prevent duplication of roles.

It’s expected the areas that were successful in securing a postponement will instead vote in May 2027.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed said: ‘This is a once-in-a-generation reform that will transform local government for the better.

‘Cutting through two-tier bureaucracy means faster decisions on housing,simpler access to services,and more money going to potholes,tackling crime and caring for older people instead of being lost to duplication.

‘That’s what residents want and that’s what reorganisation will achieve.’

Why are they making the request?

It comes after the Government unveiled a new plan to combine district and county councils into a handful of ‘unitary authorities’,getting rid of the two-tier system that exists in many parts of England.

The government say that the two-tier system ‘slows down decision making and delivery,leads to fragmented public services,sees money wasted on duplication and makes it unclear who is responsible for what and where accountability lies.

‘Our ambition is to simplify local government,by ending the two-tier system and establishing new single-tier unitary councils.’

Research from PwC also suggests replacing the current system with new centralised councils,overseeing minimum populations of 500,000,may save at least £1.8 billion over five years.

The move was included in Labour’s 2024 election manifesto,and they later unveiled more details in their white paper,which was published in December 2024.

Both East and West Sussex are expected to have their elections in May 2027 instead (Picture: Getty Images)

Ministers say that some councillors ‘are concerned about the cost to the taxpayers of holding elections to councils that are proposed to shortly be abolished’.

ITV reports that West Sussex County Council said the cost of elections planned in 2026,2027 and 2028 would cost taxpayers £9 million.

Reed previously told The Times: ‘Running a series of elections for short-lived zombie councils will be costly,time-consuming and will take scarce resources away from front-line services like fixing potholes and social care.’

Most councillors supporting a delay are Labour representatives,leading to accusations that the delay is an attempt to keep seats in the face of plummeting public opinion on the party.

But confirming the decision today,Reed told MPs: ‘To those who say we’ve cancelled all the elections,we haven’t. To those who say it’s all Labour councils,it isn’t.

‘I’ve asked,I’ve listened,and I’ve acted. No messing about,no playing politics,just getting on with the job of making local government work better for local people.’

What are people saying about the request to postpone?

Many see the potential to postpone the election as undemocratic,including many constituents from Redditch.

Police were called to a protest outside the Labour-run council in Worcestershire,where they discussed asking for a postponement.

It’s now confirmed that delay will be going ahead.

Ed Davey,leader of the Liberal Democrats,previously suggested that delaying elections breached human rights,and Nigel Farage has launched a legal bid to prevent delays from being allowed.