Keir Starmer humiliated as ministers u-turn on election delay plans | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Nigel Farage has secured a shocking authorized victory in opposition to the Labour authorities, as he compelled Keir Starmer right into a humiliating u-turn over plans to delay native elections for hundreds of thousands of Britons.  Ministers introduced that Local Government Secretary Steve Reed had determined to withdraw his determination to postpone 30 council elections this May, “in the light of recent legal advice”.

Reform UK had been set to formally problem the choice in courtroom, amid unprecedented warnings from the pinnacle of the UK elections watchdog. In an announcement from the division, Mr Reed stated he had invited a junior minister to “reconsider the position afresh on a very urgent basis.

“The House Minister has determined that the elections ought to proceed in May 2026.”

Responding to the news, Reform’s Gorton and Denton candidate Matt Goodwin said: “Reform threatened authorized motion. Then Keir Starmer abandons plans to cancel council elections…

“Common Sense wins again.”

Polling consultants had forecast that Reform would have received tons of of seats within the councils set to be delayed this May, providing the occasion a recent alternative to offer Keir Starmer a bruising on the poll field.

Last month, recent analysis from JL Partners stated Reform would have received large within the 30 council areas that can now go forward as deliberate.

They discovered that Mr Farage’s occasion is ready to take 28% of the vote, beating each the Tories’ 21%, Labour’s 17%, and the LibDems’ 15%.

Following the U-turn announcement, a spokesman for the elections division stated: “Following legal advice, the Government has withdrawn its original decision to postpone 30 local elections in May.

“Providing certainty to councils about their local elections is now the most crucial thing and all local elections will now go ahead in May 2026.”

It’s understood that the government will now take the necessary steps to revoke legislation in parliament that would have delayed the elections, and have written to all councils telling them to now press ahead with the votes.

The Taxpayers’ Alliance said taxpayers will be “massively relieved” that their right to vote for councillors has been restored.

But spokesman Elliot Keck added: “It ought to have by no means come this far.

“Millions of voters weren’t simply going through cancelled elections, but additionally the double injustice of elevated council tax regardless of an entire lack of a democratic mandate.

“Ministers should still bring in new guidelines making clear that were any elections to be cancelled in future, for any reason, there would be a mandatory freeze on council tax and any other charges.”

The full checklist of councils that had been set for a delay, however will now go forward, are:

• Adur District Council (Labour managed)
• Basildon Borough Council (Labour minority)
• Blackburn with Darwen Council (Labour managed)
• Burnley Borough Council (No general management)
• Cannock Chase District Council (Labour managed)
• Cheltenham Borough Council (Lib Dem managed)
• Chorley Borough Council (Labour managed)
• City of Lincoln Council (Labour managed)
• Crawley Borough Council (Labour managed)
• East Sussex County Council (Conservative minority)
• Essex County Council (Conservative managed)
• Exeter City Council (Labour managed)
• Harlow District Council (Conservative managed)
• Hastings Borough Council (No general management)
• Hyndburn Borough Council (Labour managed)
• Ipswich Borough Council (Labour managed)
• Norfolk County Council (Conservative managed)
• Norwich City Council (Labour minority)
• Peterborough City Council (Labour minority)
• Preston City Council (Labour managed)
• Redditch Borough Council (Labour managed)
• Rugby Borough Council (Labour minority)
• Stevenage Borough Council (Labour managed)
• Suffolk County Council (Conservative managed)
• Tamworth Borough Council (Labour managed)
• Thurrock Council (Labour managed)
• Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (No general management)
• West Lancashire Borough Council (Labour minority)
• West Sussex County Council (Conservative managed)
• Worthing Borough Council (Labour managed)