Thurrock to request elections are dropped

Thurrock Council's Labour administration has agreed to ask the government to cancel this year's local elections.

A report by council officers warned of "significant risk" to the debt-ridden authority's financial recovery and delivering local government reorganisation (LGR) if Thurrock holds all-out elections in May.

Labour council leader Lynn Worrall told a public cabinet meeting: "We have to do what is right for Thurrock residents. This is a council that will not be here in two years' time."

Conservative opposition leader George Coxshall said he was "not comfortable" postponing elections. Reform UK described the move as "dictatorial" and "a farce".

Essex currently has a mix of one-tier (unitary) and two-tier (county and district) councils depending on where you live.

The county is part of the first wave of LGR under the Labour government.

LGR could see the existing 15 county, district and unitary councils reduced to one tier of three to five unitary councils providing all services in their areas.

Coxshall told his Thurrock colleagues "LGR is a really great opportunity" but added "it doesn't work on the timescale".

Elections for the new unitaries were expected to take place in May 2027 and the new councils would come into effect in 2028.

Essex currently has two unitary councils - Southend and Thurrock.

The report to Thurrock's cabinet argued "pressure on the council is already significant" as it works on a transformation programme after it was declared effectively bankrupt with a debt of £1.5bn in 2022 under the Conservatives.

Holding all-seat elections this year for Thurrock in May could affect the council's capacity to deliver LGR and its "ability to take critical decisions during this six-month period [around the election, which] is likely to pose a significant risk", the report added.

It also stated "political changes across the region following elections would require new relationships to be formed, trust to be built, and a new political consensus between councils to be developed and nurtured, if LGR is to progress as currently planned".

It warned it "would almost certainly create a delay to the LGR and devolution timetable in the post-election period".

Reform UK's candidate for the proposed Greater Essex mayoral authority, Peter Harris, who was in the public gallery, said: "It's an absolute farce. They are saying there is a capacity issue.

"We all know the real reason they are cancelling this election is because they are fearful of Reform winning."

Elections for the mayoralties in Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk have already been postponed until 2028.

But Worrall retorted: "We are not frightened of Reform. This council has changed administration many, many times."

She said holding elections this year would mean "we stop the work of this council in March and not resume it until late July, or even September".

She said that would risk not delivering LGR on time.

The government has asked 63 English councils going through local government reorganisation to raise any concerns they have about their "capacity" to hold local elections this year, but they must respond by 15 January.

Local government minister Alison McGovern told Parliament in December: "If a council voices genuine concerns, we will take these issues seriously, and would be minded to grant a delay in those areas."

Basildon Borough Council submitted a request last week. Labour-led Southend declared on Monday: "This council will be having elections; this council has never considered cancelling elections."

Other council leaders in Essex are said to be making submissions to government. They do not have to hold public meetings to do so.

Braintree District Council has no elections this year. However, Conservative council leader Graham Butland wrote a letter to the government that "stresses the implications for the LGR delivery programme if not managed".

He called for an early decision from the government on whether elections would happen or not.

Polling day, if it takes place where you live, would be Thursday, 7 May.

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