19 Dec 2025
District council elections scheduled to take place next May could be postponed as part of Local Government Reorganisation.
Alison McGovern, Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness, has written to SADC leader Cllr Paul de Kort offering the opportunity to delay the elections for a year in order to focus on the LGR process.
This will see district and county councils across Herts abolished and replaced with unitary authorities, although the exact number of these has yet to be determined.
She said: “We have listened to councils telling us about the constraints they are operating within, and the work that reorganisation introduces on top of existing challenges. Now that we have received all proposals, it is only right that we listen to councils who are expressing concerns about their capacity to deliver a smooth and safe transition to new councils, alongside running resource-intensive elections to councils who may be shortly abolished.
“We have also received representations from councils concerned about the cost to taxpayers of holding elections to councils that are proposed to shortly be abolished.
“Previous Governments have postponed local elections in areas contemplating and undergoing local government reorganisation to allow councils to focus their time and energy on the process. We have now received requests from multiple councils to postpone their local elections in May 2026.
“The Secretary of State recognises that capacity will vary between councils and that is why he has reached the position that, in his view, councils are in the best position to
judge the impact of potential postponements on your area and in the spirit of devolution and trusting local leaders, this Government will listen to you.
“I am therefore inviting you, by midnight on Thursday 15 January, to set out your views on the postponement of your local election and if you consider this could release essential capacity to deliver local government reorganisation in your area and so allow reorganisation to progress effectively.
“The Secretary of State has adopted a locally-led approach. He is clear that should a council say they have no reason for postponement, then we will listen. But if you voice
genuine concerns about your capacity, then we will take these concerns seriously. To that end, the Secretary of State is only minded to make an Order to postpone elections for one year for those councils who raise capacity concerns.”
Unusually, political parties across the district are united in their opposition to any postponement.
Cllr de Kort responded to the proposal: “The Liberal Democrats both locally and nationally are strongly against cancelling democracy for the Government’s convenience. There is no local justification for this in terms of capacity. That is a complete red herring. As council leader, I will make no such application to this chaotic Government.”
Conservative group leader Cllr Matt Cowley agreed: ““Residents in St Albans district deserve to have their say at the ballot box on the direction of our local area. Our Conservative group has a clear message to the Government and the Liberal Democrat administration: let local people vote in May.”
Labour’s Cllr Mike Hobday said: “We are ready to fight the elections across St Albans and look forward to holding the Liberal Democrats to account for their management of the council. We look forward to hearing Paul de Kort’s decision on whether he will request a postponement.”
Greens and Independents leader Cllr Simon Grover added: “I oppose any suggestion that councils could delay or cancel local elections in 2026. Local democracy matters. People have the right to choose who represents them, and that right should not pause for convenience. Elections give residents a voice and a way to hold councillors to account. Skipping them would weaken trust in local government and set a worrying precedent. In St Albans, we value democratic participation, and it should not be treated as optional.”
