fromwww.independent.co.uk
1 month agoStarmer abandons plans to cancel May council elections in latest U-turn
Sir Keir Starmer has abandoned plans to postpone elections across 30 councils this May after being warned it would be illegal, in yet another humiliating U-turn for the government. Local government secretary Steve Reed had previously approved proposals to delay the polls for more than 4.5 million people to help deliver a major reorganisation of local authorities. But on Monday, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) spokesperson said it was abandoning the plan in the face of new legal advice a climbdown that has been claimed as a victory for Reform UK, which had launched legal action against the government to challenge the proposed delay.