All local elections scheduled for May 2026 should go ahead as planned.

Background

We call on the relevant Secretary of State to decline to postpone any local elections scheduled for May 2026. These elections should go ahead as planned.

Additional details

In 2025 many councils saw planned elections postponed for a year to allow for local government reorganisation on the basis that they would be held in May 2026. However the government is potentially going to postpone them again. This would be undemocratic as for example some of these councillors were last elected in 2021 meaning they would be given a 6 year term that was only meant to be 4 years. To delay yet again will simply increase distrust in politics and so the elections should be held as planned.