Thurrock Council asks government to cancel local elections
Elections for the first greater Essex mayor are expected in May 2026 but for the new councils their inaugural elections might not take place until 2027 or later.
John Kent, Labour leader of Thurrock Council, told the BBC: “There will be no more Basildon, Rochford, Castle Point, no more Uttlesford. The face of local government across Essex will change fundamentally.
“If we are going to meet the government’s stretching timetable, which is to have elections for the new mayor of greater Essex next May and the new local authorities, then there simply isn’t time to hold elections this May.”
Most Thurrock councillors agreed on Tuesday that holding elections costing £300,000 for new councillors to serve just one year rather than four was a waste of resources.
But Conservative George Coxshall said he was “not comfortable” with cancelling the elections, telling councillors “local government reform isn’t going to be done in two years”.
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