Ministers have formally revoked the instrument that would have delayed local elections in 30 English councils. The Local Authorities (Changes to Years of Ordinary Elections) (England) (Revocation) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/142) was made at 11.24am on 17 February 2026, laid before Parliament at 2.30pm the same day, and entered into force on 18 February 2026. Article 2 cancels the Local Authorities (Changes to Years of Ordinary Elections) (England) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/96), restoring the ordinary May 2026 electoral timetable in the affected areas. MHCLG has separately confirmed that all the relevant local elections will now go ahead in May 2026. (gov.uk)
Polling day remains Thursday 7 May 2026. Returning officers and candidates should therefore work to the standard statutory deadlines for nominations and campaign administration published by the Electoral Commission for that date. (cf-www.electoralcommission.org.uk)
The revocation order relies on powers in sections 87(1) and (3) and 105(2) and (3) of the Local Government Act 2000. Section 87 enables the Secretary of State to change the year of ordinary elections by order; section 105 provides general powers to make, amend and revoke secondary legislation. These mechanisms have previously been used to adjust electoral cycles to facilitate structural change. (lordslibrary.parliament.uk)
S.I. 2026/96, laid on 5 February 2026 and scheduled to commence on 27 February 2026, would have postponed polls by one year in designated reorganisation areas. Because this revocation entered into force on 18 February 2026, the earlier postponement never took legal effect. (statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk)
In parallel correspondence to council leaders on 16 February 2026, the Secretary of State confirmed the decision to withdraw the postponements and indicated that officials would move to revoke the secondary legislation to ensure all May 2026 elections proceed. (gov.uk)
Operationally, the decision restores an approximately 11‑week runway to polling day. Electoral services teams will now need to lock in venues, ballot production, staffing and count plans at pace. The Electoral Commission’s published timetable indicates nomination deadlines in early April for the 7 May poll, with subsequent postal and proxy voting cut‑offs later in April. (electoralcommission.org.uk)
The instrument extends to England and Wales, though its substantive effect concerns local government elections in England. No full impact assessment accompanies the Order, with the department stating that no, or no significant, impacts on the private, voluntary or public sectors are foreseen.
The Order is signed by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, Parliamentary Under‑Secretary of State, acting with the authority of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Departmental communications emphasise that reorganisation work continues alongside elections, supported by additional capacity funding. (gov.uk)
MHCLG has announced up to £63 million in new capacity funding across 21 reorganisation areas to help councils manage transitional work while maintaining statutory electoral activity this spring. (gov.uk)
Contextually, the government had signalled on 22 January 2026 that it would seek to postpone polls in 29 councils to free administrative capacity for reorganisation, with others continuing as planned; that position has now been superseded by the revocation. (gov.uk)