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Local Government: Elections

Asked by David SimmondsConservativeMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 13 February 2026UIN 109265

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he received representations on delaying local elections from Labour (a) MPs, (b) councillors and (c) council groups that were separate from formal representations from the local authority.

Answered by Alison McGovern

Representations were received from councils with elections scheduled in May, including from councillors and political groups, and from other councils, interested organisations, Member of Parliament, and members of the public.

The Secretary of State ran a locally led process and it was for councils to make representations and assess their capacity to conduct a safe and smooth transition to new authorities at the same time as holding elections.

In reaching his decisions, the Secretary of State carefully considered all the representations made alongside departmental advice on those representations.

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