JUST three councils in Essex have asked for their local elections to be cancelled. Basildon, Harlow and Thurrock councils say they want elections due in May scrapped due to the pressures local authorities are already facing from local government reform (LGR) reports the Local Democracy Reporter.

The council’s responses come after Alison McGovern, Minister of State for Local Government and Homelessness, met with council leaders regarding the work to merge the current 14 councils into three to five large unitary councils. The Government is expected to make a decision in the coming days on whether to postpone elections for a year.

Basildon Borough Council local elections

Councillor Andy Barnes, Tory group leader at Basildon Council, accused the administration of running scared due to polling data. He said: “We’ve known local government reform and these elections have been coming for years for years. Why is this suddenly a problem? Why has it suddenly come out of the blue? I bet it wouldn’t be if the Labour party was riding high in the polls.”

Basildon leader Gavin Callaghan, in a response to a letter from Conservative MP for Basildon and Billericay Richard Holden, who has also criticised the stance from the Labour administration, said: “There is a long-established and well-understood precedent for the government’s postponing elections where local government reorganisation is underway or imminent.”

Thurrock Council local elections

Thurrock Council’s Labour administration has also voted to ask for this year’s local elections to be scrapped amid what it says would otherwise be a “significant risk” to its work to deliver local government reorganisation. Reform Councillor Russell Cherry described the move as “dictatorial”

Labour council leader Lynn Worrall told a public cabinet meeting: “We have to do what is right for Thurrock residents. This is a council that will not be here in two years’ time.”

Harlow Council local elections

Tory-run Harlow council said if its district council elections were to proceed in 2026, they would be for only 11 council seats, which does not warrant the extra work given LGR pressures.

A letter from council leader Dan Swords said: ”Considering all material factors, the council formally requests that the Secretary of State postpone the Harlow Council elections for the 11 seats currently scheduled for 7 May 2026. In doing so, essential capacity will be released to safely and effectively fulfil the legislative framework for LGR.”

abour group leader James Griggs said: “This decision was taken by the Conservative council leader and his administration. In a number of authorities across the county, special meetings allowed councillors the opportunity to scrutinise the choice; this did not happen in Harlow. Harlow Labour group made no request of the Government on this matter.”

Essex County Council local elections

Essex County Council leader Kevin Bentley has been accused of “advancing all the arguments for postponing the May Elections whilst not asking for the elections be postponed”.

In a letter to the government, he said statutory service commitments already put financial strain on the council – even without LGR. He said: “Clearly, only the Government can determine whether the 2026 elections should be postponed. Essex County Council is not calling for them to be postponed.”