Elections in Blackburn with Darwen will now go ahead after the Government dramatically reversed its decision to postpone local council polls.
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Last month, it was announced that the scheduled May 7 borough elections in Blackburn with Darwen — along with Hyndburn and Burnley — had been scrapped as part of Lancashire’s wider local government reorganisation linked to devolution.
However, the Government has now abandoned those plans after receiving legal advice that delaying the elections could be unlawful.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) confirmed:
“Following legal advice, the Government has withdrawn its original decision to postpone 30 local elections in May.
Providing certainty to councils about their local elections is now the most crucial thing and all local elections will now go ahead in May 2026.”
Why were the elections cancelled in the first place?
The postponement was originally approved after several Lancashire councils — including Hyndburn, Burnley, Preston and Chorley — raised concerns about cost and capacity as part of the ongoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
The reorganisation is expected to see existing district councils abolished and replaced with larger unitary authorities ahead of Lancashire’s planned devolution settlement in 2028.
Blackburn with Darwen, as an existing unitary authority, was included in the wider discussions around restructuring pressures and timing.
The Government had argued that councils were under strain and that postponing elections would ease the transition during what it described as “the most ambitious reforms of local government in a generation.”
Legal challenge forces rethink
Reform UK launched a legal challenge against the postponement, arguing that cancelling elections denied millions of people their democratic rights.
With the case due to be heard in the High Court, the Government withdrew its decision before proceedings concluded. It has agreed to cover Reform’s legal costs.
Opposition parties welcomed the U-turn, with accusations that ministers had attempted to avoid electoral risk.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage claimed the move showed the Government had tried to “stop 4.6 million people voting.”
Critics from across the political spectrum described the initial postponement as undemocratic, particularly as council tax rises were still being proposed without fresh mandates.
What does this mean for Blackburn with Darwen?
For residents, it means that borough elections are now expected to proceed as scheduled in May 2026.
The Government has said additional funding — reported to be more than £60 million nationally — will be made available to councils undergoing reorganisation to help manage pressures.
Local Government Secretary Steve Reed said:
“I recognise that many of the local councils undergoing reorganisation voiced genuine concerns about the pressure they are under… My officials will be in touch with those affected councils to understand if any further practical support will be required.”
A question for voters
The reversal raises political questions locally and nationally.
Was the postponement a practical decision based on reorganisation pressures — or, as some have alleged, an attempt to avoid difficult elections?
With Blackburn with Darwen residents now set to head to the polls, the debate shifts from courtrooms back to ballot boxes.
What do you think — should the elections ever have been postponed in the first place?
