Govt delays all 2026 Lancs elections bar one
Residents in Pendle will go to polls in May but people living in Blackburn, Preston, West Lancs, Hyndburn, Chorley, and Burnley will have to wait until 2027 to cast their ballots.
Housing secretary Steve Reed has sent a letter to all councils nationally that had asked for elections to be delayed to let them know whose request had been granted.
In Lancashire, seven councils had asked the government to allow them to postpone elections to afford more time to carry out local government reorganisation.
All but one of those requests, that of Pendle, was granted.
“This decision follows a comprehensive consideration of all the evidence available to me,” Reed’s letter said.
He added that the postponement would “release essential capacity” to carry out the reorganisation process, which is due to complete by 2028.
Rumours of election delays have been circulating for some time and have angered Nigel Farage’s Reform Party, which is expected to gobble up seats at May’s local elections.
The decision to delays six council elections in Lancashire will be particularly painful for Reform, which will have been hoping to build on the momentum that saw it take control of the county council last year.
Democracy is dead in this country .
By Anonymous
Actually, this shows that democracy is alive and well. It is bonkers for a council to be forced to spend £200,000 on an election for Councillors to serve just one year. The focus of local politicians should be on agreeing the right structure for the new authorities, and making sure that the existing ones continue to work in the meantime – not least in processing planning applications.
People forget that the Government is responding to pleas from the local authorities involved to delay the elections.
By Pete
Dear Anonymous at 11.07: It would seem Nigel Farage agrees with you, but it’s a shame he isn’t working to rejuvenate it, you know by actually turning up in his constituency, or parliament.
By Anonymouse
Cos they knew they be thrashed
By Anonymous
Absolute shameless behaviour by labour. No bottle for an honest election. Cowards
By So
I’ve never been informed that you are denying my right to vote this may 2026, you will never ever get my vote an absolute disgrace ,worked sll my life payed all my taxes and we have people running scared ,no excuses you are denying my legal right to vote ,go look for another job please
By Anonymous
LABOUR ARE RUNNING SCARED.
By Tom
As we edge ever closer to something uncomfortably Orwellian, responsibility lies not with Westminster alone but squarely with local government. It is local authorities that have chosen to cancel elections following an invitation to do so, and in doing this they deserve a level of censure even greater than usual. Accountability is not imposed from above; it is surrendered willingly. Those who remove the public’s right to choose should not be surprised when public trust follows it out of the door.
By Steve5839
Thatcher did this in the 80s so she could abolish the Met Counties that were making her government look foolish. Not sure what the moaning is about now.
By Anon