Lib Dem Leader Ed Davey Calls for Investigation into Local Election Delays Amid Major Government Reforms
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey has written to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission requesting an investigation into the government's approach to potential delays in local elections. He cites Article 3 of the Human Rights Act and warns that nearly 10 million people could lose their vote due to postponements.
The government has indicated it may allow some local elections to be postponed if councils report capacity issues linked to the extensive local-government reforms underway in England. Downing Street has stressed that any delays would be temporary, lawful, and subject to safeguards.
These reforms represent the largest local-government overhaul in 50 years, aiming to implement a mayor for every region and merge two-tier authorities by 2028. In February, nine areas were permitted to postpone 2025 elections to 2026. Subsequently, ministers asked all 63 affected councils whether they sought a delay; Hastings and East and West Sussex have requested postponements, with other councils expected to decide by a 15 January deadline.
Meanwhile, Reform UK plans to introduce a Private Members’ Bill to insist on holding May elections as scheduled, opposing any delays and arguing such postponements would be illegitimate. However, the bill is unlikely to become law.
The Electoral Commission has expressed concern about possible conflicts of interest arising from councils deciding whether to postpone elections. The government maintains that the process is locally led and that councils are best placed to assess any impacts.
Politically, the May elections are significant as they will influence leadership pressures for both Labour and the Conservatives. Labour currently leads in 18 out of the 63 councils involved, Conservatives in 9, and the Liberal Democrats in 7. The Conservatives are defending the largest number of seats, totaling 610, ahead of the polls.
