Ministers have moved to restore the normal local election cycle in England for May 2026. The Local Authorities (Changes to Years of Ordinary Elections) (England) (Revocation) Order 2026 (SI 2026/142) has been made and laid on 17 February, with commencement stated for 18 February 2026. The measure confirms that polling in the 30 previously affected authorities will proceed this May. (gov.uk)
The new instrument cancels the earlier Local Authorities (Changes to Years of Ordinary Elections) (England) Order 2026 (SI 2026/96). That order was laid on 5 February 2026 and scheduled to come into force on 27 February 2026; revocation prevents its postponement provisions from taking legal effect. (statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk)
In a letter to council leaders on 16 February, the Secretary of State confirmed withdrawal of the original decision to delay 30 local elections and said the department would take the necessary steps in Parliament to revoke the secondary legislation so that all local polls proceed in May 2026. The same update announced up to £63 million in capacity funding for councils progressing reorganisation. (gov.uk)
The power to alter the year of ordinary local elections is provided by the Local Government Act 2000. Section 87 enables such changes by order, with section 105 governing the making of orders and regulations; both provisions have been cited previously when postponements were made. Parliamentary debates on the 2025 order confirm use of section 87 for this purpose. (hansard.parliament.uk)
For electoral administrators, the position is now clear: Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers should proceed on the basis of polls taking place on Thursday 7 May 2026, following the standard statutory timetable for notices, nominations and absent vote deadlines published by the Electoral Commission. (cf-www.electoralcommission.org.uk)
Political parties and prospective candidates regain certainty over campaign planning, including short campaign spending periods and the sequencing of candidate briefings, postal vote printing and count logistics. The government’s funding announcement is intended to ease pressure in areas simultaneously delivering local government reorganisation while running the elections. (gov.uk)
The revocation also removes the need to adjust councillor terms that would otherwise have been affected by a one‑year postponement under SI 2026/96. Stakeholders who had paused preparatory work should resume engagement with Returning Officers as statutory deadlines approach in late March and April. (statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk)
Context from the past year is relevant. The government used the same statutory route in 2025 to delay elections in a smaller number of areas to support structural change, a move scrutinised in both Houses. Today’s instrument takes the opposite approach for 2026, restoring the usual cycle and removing the postponement mechanism set in train earlier this month. (lordslibrary.parliament.uk)