MHCLG has announced that it will abandon plans to cancel local elections in 30 councils after the threat of a legal challenge from Reform UK. The housing department says it has received “new legal advice” on the matter. Statement from the Government Legal Department:
“The Secretary of State has decided to withdraw his decision to postpone the council elections of 30 local councils due to take place in May 2026 in the light of recent legal advice (for the avoidance of doubt no privilege is waived).
The Secretary State invited the Housing Minister, who was not involved in the initial decision-making, to reconsider the position afresh on a very urgent basis recognising the pressing timescales involved. The Housing Minister has decided that the elections should proceed in May 2026.
The Secretary of State will seek to agree an order with the Claimant in the light of this announcement disposing of the claim and will agree to pay the Claimant’s costs of these proceedings.”
A substantial win for Nigel Farage…
UPDATE: Farage says:
“We took this Labour government to court and won.
In collusion with the Tories, Keir Starmer tried to stop 4.6 million people voting on May 7th.
Only Reform UK fights for democracy.”
Starmer was read out a list of his 13 U-turns on BBC Radio 2, to which he responded:
“Well, I am a common sense merchant.”