LONDON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The British government on Monday said it had abandoned plans to cancel 30 local council elections in May. (Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James)
UK Government Abandons Delay of May Council Elections Amid Legal Pressure
UK Government's Decision on Local Elections
By Sam Tabahriti and William James
Political Context and Implications
LONDON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government on Monday abandoned plans to delay 30 local council elections due in May after being advised it could lose a legal challenge, piling fresh pressure on him after a series of policy U-turns.
Legal Challenges and Government Response
Starmer survived a leadership crisis last week, and his governing Labour Party is widely expected to suffer heavy losses in the May polls following the rise of Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK party.
Reactions from Political Opponents
The government had permitted some councils to postpone their elections ahead of an upcoming reorganisation of local government, but political opponents had said that move was designed to minimise potential losses.
Days before the decision was due to be scrutinised in court, in a legal case brought by Reform UK, the government issued a statement abandoning its plans, citing legal advice.
Steve Reed, the minister responsible for local government, said all elections would now go ahead as originally scheduled in May.
Around 4.5 million voters would have been affected by the postponements. Councils oversee services such as housing, social care and waste collection.
STARMER'S JUDGEMENT IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Since winning a landslide election victory in July 2024, Starmer has struggled to implement his agenda and has had some important decisions challenged in court.
The government has reversed course on a number of big‑ticket budget measures under pressure from voters, industry and from within Labour. Courts ruled last week that a decision to ban a pro-Palestinian group was unlawful.
Starmer's leadership came under threat last week over his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador after new disclosures showed the depth of his ties to the late U.S. sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
The May elections could prove the next flashpoint for Labour figures who believe Starmer should be replaced.
Political opponents seized on the latest U-turn.
"We took this Labour government to court and won," Farage wrote on X on Monday, describing the decision as a "victory for democracy". Court papers showed his party argued the postponements constituted an abuse of power.
The leader of the opposition Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, said the move was "predictable chaos from a useless government that cannot make basic decisions."
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(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; editing by William James and Ros Russell)
