Two extraordinary meetings have been arranged to discuss Thurrock Council’s response to the Government, which has asked for views on the merits of postponing the planned May 2026 local elections in areas where local government reorganisation (LGR) is underway.
On Thursday 18 December, the Minister for Local Government Alison McGovern wrote to the Leaders of councils across the country with planned elections in May 2026 where proposals for reorganisation have been submitted and decisions not yet taken. She asked councils, by midnight on Thursday 15 January, to set out its views on the postponement of their local election, particularly in relation to any implications on their capacity to deliver local government reorganisation.
On Tuesday 13 January, Thurrock’s Cabinet will meet to consider a report, written by officers, which sets out the implications of the planned elections on Thurrock’s ability to deliver its best value requirements under intervention alongside local government reorganisation and devolution. The considerations set out in the report include the impact on the democratic process; the political capacity to deliver best value and local government reorganisation; the impact on partnership working across Greater Essex to deliver LGR; and the value for money of holding elections for a time-limited council.
It recommends that Cabinet agrees that the issues and implications set out in the report are shared with the Government, to help inform their decision about whether local elections should take place in Thurrock in 2026.
Cllr Lynn Worrall, Leader of Thurrock Council, will be writing to all councillors, inviting them to attend Cabinet and share their views on this important issue, recognising that this is not a party political issue, but something that affects each and every one of them, and the residents they represent.
Cllr Lynn Worrall, Leader of Thurrock Council, said: “No-one wants to postpone elections – they are fundamental to how we work, and every councillor feels great pride in having been chosen by the people that they serve to work on their behalf. I want these elections to go ahead, but these are not normal times, and if doing so risks the biggest opportunity we have had in decades to shake up local government and make sure it works for local people, then it is something we need to carefully consider together. Ultimately, whether the elections go ahead in Thurrock is a decision for Government, but it is important that we help to inform that decision with clear and factual information. I’m grateful to officers for laying out the considerations so clearly, and I look forward to hearing from all councillors, before the Cabinet confirms what we will be sending to the Secretary of State.”
A meeting of Full Council will also be held next week, on Wednesday 14 January, at the request of some councillors, to further debate the issue.