Deputy PM Angela Rayner has announced that local elections scheduled for this May will be cancelled across nine council areas, effecting over five million people. Instead, new ballots will take place in 2026 as part of an overhaul of local government in England.

The affected areas include East Sussex, West Sussex, Essex, Thurrock, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Surrey. Notably, all but one of these councils are Conservative-controlled, despite expectations that Reform UK would perform strongly in many of these areas.

Nigel Farage has accused the Labour government and Tory-controlled councils of collusion. He told The Times: "I thought that only dictators cancelled elections but what I see today is collusion to stave off the threat of Reform UK on May 1."

In response, the Conservatives criticised Labour for having massively rushed this whole exercise. Shadow Communities Secretary Kevin Hollinrake said:

"There has been no attempt to gather consensus within two-tier areas. Local residents have not been consulted. Council leaders have a 'gun to their head' from the Labour Government. This whole process should be considered in slower time, with proper and open consultation, and not imposed from Whitehall on your town hall. Last year, we set out five key tests that any restructuring should meet - and Labour have failed at every hurdle. This mass postponement of elections is unprecedented and entirely wrong."

The decision to cancel elections, and the manner in which it has been implemented, is being widely criticised as a short-sighted move designed to protect the status quo. Critics argue that the cancellation undermines the democratic process and shields incumbent councils from the electoral challenge posed by emerging parties like Reform UK. As the political landscape continues to evolve, these developments could signal a further entrenchment of power by the traditional parties, leaving voters with fewer choices at the ballot box.