Fact check: Local elections could be postponed as councils are restructured
Proposed local government reform could lead to councils merging into larger organisations, and local elections might be postponed in the meanwhile.
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Your support makes all the difference.Claims have circulated online that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will scrap next year’s local elections.
One of the claims said this was the first time this has happened since the Second World War.
The claims spread widely, with one of them bring written in French.
Evaluation
A new Government white paper includes plans to restructure some local government in England. To aid in this process it is possible that local elections could be postponed. The reforms will likely merge some councils into larger bodies, which will lead to fewer separate elections.
Such mergers have happened many times in the past and elections have been postponed as a result.
The facts
The claim is likely based on the English Devolution White Paper, a Government document released on December 16 which laid out plans which the Government said are intended to move power away from Whitehall and into the hands of local leaders in England.
That paper includes a plan which would replace “two-tier” county and district councils with single “unitary” authorities. These unitary councils will – with exceptions – need to have populations of more than half a million people.
There have been several rounds of restructuring in the past. These took place from 1992 to 1995, 2008 to 2009 and 2018 to 2021.
At the time of the 2018 to 2021 restructuring then local government secretary Robert Jenrick invited councils in Cumbria, North Yorkshire, and Somerset to submit proposals for moving to unitary local government.
Proposals were received on December 9 2020. In May 2021 elections had been scheduled for some of the councils which would have been impacted by the proposals. These elections were postponed as a result following a consultation.
Explaining the decision in 2021, the Government said: “Rescheduling local elections avoids confusing the electorate who would otherwise be asked to vote for councils a short time after being consulted on proposals which, if implemented, would result in the abolition of those councils; rescheduling elections also avoids members being elected to serve for short terms.”
In 2018 local elections were also postponed in Dorset, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire for the same reason.
The proposals in the white paper published on December 16 2024 would similarly allow some local elections to be postponed if that makes the restructuring process easier. No decision has yet been taken.
The paper also says that having fewer councils will require “fewer councillors and local elections”.
It reads: “We recognise that reorganisation will create upfront costs and additional pressures for councils alongside their crucial responsibilities to communities, including caring for some of the most vulnerable in society.
“It is vital that new unitary councils get off to a good start, so we will work closely with local leaders to explore what support they might need to develop robust proposals and implement new structures, including taking decisions to postpone local elections where this will help to smooth the transition process. We will learn from the experience and successes of others who have been through the process.”
Links
UK Parliament – Local Government Update (archived)
Legislation.gov.uk – Explanatory memorandum (archived)
Gov.uk - English Devolution White Paper (archived)
English Devolution White Paper – Power and Partnership: Foundations for Growth (archived)
IfG – Nine things we learned from the English devolution white paper (archived)
House of Commons Library – Is my council going to be abolished? (archived)