About 27 councils representing more than five million people are controversially expected to postpone local elections due to be held in May.
Most of the authorities are Labour controlled, prompting accusations that Sir Keir Starmer is “running scared of voters” as his party faces dismal poll ratings.
Ministers asked 63 councils if they would like to delay polls to free up time and save cash for an overhaul of local government structures.
Some of the town halls due to hold elections in 2026 will be merged into new unitary councils next year or in 2028, so councillors elected in May could only be in office for a year.
But Labour councils were more likely to request postponements than those under Tory or Lib Dem control.
Almost 600 councillors, about a third of them Labour, will not have to defend their seats this year.
Nigel Farage, whose Reform UK party is leading opinion polls, said: “This is a democratic outrage which we will fight using the law. Labour is damaging our democracy and running scared of voters.”
In London’s commuter areas Basildon, Thurrock, Stevenage, Oxford, Peterborough and Welwyn Hatfield are among those who have requested delays.
Other Labour-run local authorities facing election postponments include Blackburn with Darwen, Chorley, Exeter, Hyndburn, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Preston, Norwich, Ipswich, Worthing, Rugby, Adur, Tamworth, Cannock Chase and Lincoln.
Councils have until midnight on Friday to get in their requests.
Here are all the town halls expected to delay elections:
Labour councils
- Blackburn with Darwen
- Chorley
- Exeter
- Hyndburn
- Nuneaton and Bedworth
- Preston
- Thurrock
- Peterborough
- Norwich
- Basildon
- Ipswich
- Oxford
- Redditch
- Welwyn Hatfield
- Worthing
- Rugby
- Adur
- Tamworth
- Cannock Chase
- Stevenage
- Lincoln
Conservative
- East Sussex
- West Sussex
- Suffolk
- Harlow
Liberal Democrat
- Cheltenham
No overall control
- Hastings
