The government is weighing delaying local elections due to Labour’s planned reorganization of England’s local government, with up to 63 councils potentially postponing May 2025 elections to 2027 if they request by mid-January.

Conservatives and Reform UK condemn the move as undemocratic, with critics calling it a dictatorship-in-waiting and accusing Labour of dodging the voters.

Some areas have already postponed to 2026, and places like Surrey are on faster timetables and not being consulted about delays; Hampshire says it won’t seek another postponement.

Minister Alison McGovern stressed decisions will be evidence-based, acknowledging council and taxpayer capacity and cost concerns.

Surrey faces a faster timetable and isn’t being consulted on postponement; overall, 204 councils across 21 areas are undergoing reorganisation.

Opposition figures and committee members criticized the timing of the announcement, arguing it undermines accountability during a busy political period.

The MHCLG argues two-tier authorities are wasteful and that consolidating services under larger, single authorities will reduce councillor numbers and boost efficiency across the 204 councils undergoing reorganisation.

Reform to streamline services under single authorities is framed as a move away from two-tier systems.

The episode highlights tensions between rapid structural reform and maintaining a stable local electoral cycle.

An analysis shows about half of the affected councils are Labour-led, with representation from Conservative and Lib Dem councils as well; Reform UK has no councils among the affected group.

Invited councils include Adur, Basildon, Basingstoke and Deane, Cambridge, Colchester, East Sussex, Essex, Ipswich, Isle of Wight, Norwich, Norfolk, Suffolk, and others across England.

Local Government Minister Alison McGovern said delays will be granted only when councils face genuine restructuring-related challenges, and that representations could be submitted with a January deadline, with a final decision early next year.