Over a third of councils offered local elections delay have requested one - is yours on the list?

Over a 3rd of the section councils offered a hold to their elections successful May person requested one, Sky News investigation shows.

Twenty-four councils person confirmed to Sky News they person written to the authorities asking their section elections beryllium postponed by a year, citing the resources needed to present the section authorities reorganisation (LGR) programme, and the outgo of holding elections.

Eighteen of those councils are led by Labour - either successful majority, oregon starring a conjugation administration. Two are Conservative, 2 are Liberal Democrat, 1 is Green, and 1 is independent.

Six councils person yet to publically corroborate their positions, though the deadline to petition a hold passed astatine midnight connected Thursday.

Has your assembly requested a delay? Use our hunt instrumentality below.

On the Thursday earlier Christmas, the authorities unexpectedly announced it would see delaying 63 section assembly elections adjacent twelvemonth owed to challenges astir their LGR plans.

Local Government Secretary Steve Reed argued connected Sky's Politics Hub connected Thursday: "The immense bulk of elections are going up connected schedule. Where we person asked councils to fto america cognize if determination needs to beryllium a hold oregon a postponement is wherever we're going done the biggest reorganisation of councils successful decades."

He explained that a 3rd of the state has 2 councils, alternatively than one, which is wealth that could beryllium spent connected section services, and truthful they are offering to postpone elections this twelvemonth if holding them could mean a hold to elections adjacent year.

Sky News has contacted each of the 63 councils offered a delay, and a full of 24 person said they volition beryllium requesting one, 31 person said they volition not, 2 could not hold internally whether to inquire for a delay, and six had not responded astatine the clip of writing.

All the councils that person requested a hold cited the resources needed to present the government's LGR programme, and galore said it would not marque consciousness to walk hundreds of thousands of pounds to clasp an predetermination for councillor positions that would lone beryllium for 1 year.

The last determination connected whether an predetermination volition beryllium delayed rests with the government, and absorption parties are furious.

At his quality league connected Thursday, astatine which helium announced Robert Jenrick's defection from the Tories, Reform UK person Nigel Farage said: "I had the afloat volition contiguous to archer you however perfectly monstrous it is that elections for millions of radical each implicit this state are being cancelled, successful immoderate cases for the 2nd twelvemonth successful a row."

Instead, helium volition bash that astatine a aboriginal date, and helium said helium is preparing to bring a ineligible situation against the government's plans.

He has antecedently accused Labour and the Tories of moving unneurotic to fastener his enactment retired of powerfulness - but conscionable 2 Tory-led councils person confirmed they volition beryllium seeking a delay, portion 8 person said they volition not.

The Conservatives person said publically they privation each section elections owed successful May to spell ahead, with shadiness chancellor Sir Mel Stride telling broadcasters connected Thursday it is "not right" that millions could beryllium "denied the antiauthoritarian close to question alteration successful their councils if they tendency it".

"We don't privation to spot councillors serving seven-year terms. We request to get connected with democracy," helium added.

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The main enforcement of the Electoral Commission, Vijay Rangarajan, has besides criticised the imaginable delays to elections, saying successful December helium was "concerned" that immoderate elections could beryllium postponed, having already been deferred from 2025.

"Scheduled elections should, arsenic a rule, spell up arsenic planned, and lone beryllium postponed successful exceptional circumstances," helium said successful a statement.

"We precise overmuch recognise the pressures connected section government, but these precocious changes bash not assistance administrators. Parties and candidates person already been preparing for immoderate time, and volition beryllium understandably concerned."

He said "capacity constraints" were not a "legitimate crushed for delaying agelong planned elections", which risked "affecting the legitimacy of section decision-making and damaging nationalist confidence".

The watchdog main besides said determination was "a wide struggle of involvement successful asking existing councils to determine however agelong it volition beryllium earlier they are answerable to voters".