More than 20 England council elections likely to be delayed until 2027

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Alexandra Topping Political correspondentJanuary 15, 2026 at 10:45 AM

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More than 20 councils in England have requested to postpone their local elections, potentially until 2027, due to a government overhaul of local government. The reorganisation combines two-tier authorities into single unitary councils, which the government claims will improve efficiency. Sixty-three council areas could postpone elections, with 23 councils requesting delays, 33 not, and 7 yet to confirm. The postponements, which ministers are expected to approve, have sparked criticism and unrest, with some arguing it undermines democracy. The government defends the delays, stating that holding elections for councils being restructured would be a waste of resources. The changes will also introduce six more elected mayors in various regions.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Hastings 30% Cheltenham 30% BBC 40% Exeter 40% Preston 40% Peterborough 40% East Sussex 50% West Sussex 50% Redditch ×260% Suffolk ×260% Steve Reed ×270% England ×390%

Keywords

council elections 100% local government 90% election delay 80% unitary councils 70% government reorganisation 60% democratic process 50% elected mayors 50% england 40%

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Negative

Score: -0.20

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Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

England

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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council elections local government election delay unitary councils government reorganisation democratic process elected mayors england

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