Reform challenges election postponement

The Government will allow elections scheduled for May to be postponed to pave the way for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).

As reported on this site last week City of Lincoln Council had asked for permission to postpone going to the vote for 11 of its 33 seats this year so that resources, including £170,000 election costs, could be used to ensure the smooth transition to new local authority structures. 

The council got the go-ahead from the Government yesterday, but Reform has mounted a legal challenge to the postponement of Lincoln’s elections and those of 28 other authorities. The move has also been criticised locally by Cllr Sean Matthews the leader of the controlling Reform UK group of Lincolnshire County Council, who said ‘only dictators cancel elections’.

Cllr Naomi Tweddle, leader of the city council said: “City of Lincoln Council is the only authority in Lincolnshire that had been scheduled to hold elections in 2026.

“Delivering Local Government Reorganisation to a high standard requires significant preparation and capacity. This is a once-in-a-generation transformation, we are a multi-million pound organisation and, to deliver reorganisation effectively, we will be merged with other authorities that are equally complex and financially significant.

“Holding a local election is a major undertaking, both in terms of staff resources and cost. With that cost exceeding £170,000, the postponement allows us to focus fully on maintaining the services our residents rely on, while supporting our ambition to freeze council tax at a time when households continue to feel the pressure of the cost of living

“Our priority is ensuring that reorganisation delivers the best possible outcomes for residents and is implemented safely, responsibly and successfully."

A two-day High Court hearing is scheduled for February 19-20 to hear Reform’s claim and Communities Minster Steve Reed has been ordered to set out the Government’s reasons for allowing the postponements by January 29.

A Reform UK spokesman told the Local Government Chronicle: “We said we would fight Labour every step of the way on this and we are doing so. Labour is disgracefully trying to deny democracy. We are determined to win this case next month.”