What Lancashire council bosses say about having to stage elections after government U-turn
Two Lancashire councils whose previously cancelled local elections were suddenly put back on the calendar this week have said they are confident they can still deliver well-run contests.
Preston City Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council are amongst the seven local authorities in the county that will now have to stage votes in May after the government initially called them off last month.
The two councils have told the Lancashire Post that their election planning was already at an advanced stage and had not completely halted even after the polls appeared to have been scrapped.
The government had offered all local authorities in places like Lancashire – which are about to embark on a major restructure – the chance to “postpone” any elections that were scheduled for this year, pending votes in May 2027 to elect ‘shadow’ versions of the councils that will replace them the following year.
However, ministers made a dramatic U-turn on Monday, reinstating elections to the existing authorities – on 7th May – ahead of a High Court hearing sparked by a legal challenge launched by Reform UK.
The sudden reversal left councils with a truncated timetable in which to prepare for the polls – which had been cancelled in the first place on the basis that it would be difficult for them to run elections at the same time as getting ready for ‘local government reorganisation’ (LGR).
But Preston and Blackburn with Darwen council bosses say they are sure of a smooth process ahead. A third of the seats are up for grabs on each authority, one in each electoral ward.
“We have a highly professional and experienced elections team that has already undertaken extensive planning and preparation for the 2026 elections – and we are confident in our ability to successfully deliver the local elections on 7th May without any negative impact on the elections budget,” Preston City Council chief executive and returning officer Adrian Phillips said.
Meanwhile, Denise Park, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council’s chief executive, told the Post: “While the council was supportive of the government’s decision to postpone this year’s local elections, planning and preparation have continued in the background.
“The council gave its cross-party support to the proposed postponement, given the significant pressures associated with local government reorganisation.
“We will be ready to deliver a successful election on 7th May. Activity will now ramp up and be prioritised to ensure all arrangements are in place.
“We welcome the government’s commitment to provide additional financial support to help councils manage the pressures created by LGR.
“We would encourage residents to check their electoral details and make sure any existing postal vote arrangements are still valid as some residents may still need to reapply for a postal vote.
“Delivering a well-run and accessible election for the people of Blackburn with Darwen remains a priority.”
The government has said that an extra £63m in “capacity funding” will be provided to areas undergoing LGR. In Lancashire, the shake-up will see all 15 main councils scrapped and replaced with a handful of larger authorities covering huge swathes of the county – the number and geographical shape of which will be decided by ministers this summer.
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