Nigel Farage forces Starmer into humiliating local elections climbdown as government ABANDONS plan to delay votes for millions

Ministers have abandoned efforts to delay May’s council elections in another humiliating U-turn by Keir Starmer.

The dramatic drop follows Reform’s legal challenge to delay the votes of more than 4.5 million people.

Insiders suggested a misinterpretation of the law was to blame for the blunder, which came just hours after the faltering Prime Minister rejected the idea of ​​further inversions.

The government has set aside £63 million to help councils deal with the fallout from the chaotic reorganization of council houses and will also have to pay Nigel Farage’s legal costs.

But angry councils questioned whether the abolition and consolidation of authorities could go ahead, complaining that ministers had failed to get the situation under control.

A Whitehall source said ‘we hope’ the program can be sustained.

Labor insiders despaired at this incompetence and conceded that the government appeared to be involved in ‘death by a thousand self-inflicted cuts’.

A Department of Housing and Local Government spokesman said: ‘Following legal advice, the government has withdrawn its initial decision to postpone the 30 local elections to be held in May.

The dramatic drop follows Reform’s legal challenge to delay the votes of more than 4.5 million people.

The Department of Housing and Local Government confirmed the change today

‘Giving councils certainty about their local elections is now paramount and all local elections will now be held in May 2026.’

In a statement about X, Mr Farage said: ‘We took this Labor government to court and won.

Keir Starmer tried to prevent 4.6 million people from voting on May 7 by colluding with the Conservative Party.

‘Only Reform UK fights for democracy.’

There was fierce reaction to the delays, but the announcement still took Westminster by surprise.

A hearing was due to be held on Thursday, and Reform had requested a decision by the end of March.

Speaking on BBC Radio 2 just hours before the news broke, presenter Jeremy Vine asked Sir Keir to ask the public ‘can we be confident that you will now stick to your route after these U-turns?’ he asked.

The Prime Minister replied: ‘Absolutely. ‘I know exactly why I’ve been elected to a five-year term to change this country for the better, and that’s what I want to do.’

Sir Keir is teetering on the brink after narrowly escaping last week’s attempted coup.

But he lost chief of staff Morgan McSweeney and communications director Tim Allan.

Cabinet Secretary Chris Wormald was also sacked just 19 months after being hand-picked by Sir Keir.

The departures, the latest in a series of high-profile disappearances, have left the prime minister dangerously isolated.

However, it seems determined to hold on for now, as its rivals are not yet in a position to move.

The Electoral Commission has warned that the bar should be set ‘very high’ for local councils that delay voting.

Communities Secretary Steve Reed said the election could be postponed to raise funds for a costly change in local government.

Around 21 of the relevant councils are currently controlled by the Labor Party; This accounts for more than two-thirds of the total.

In some cases, elections are postponed for the second year in a row, causing a ‘double delay’.

Four county councils (West Sussex, East Sussex, Suffolk and Norfolk) fall into this category, with councilors elected in 2021 now set for seven-year terms.

Polls show Labor is on course for a big blow at this May’s election, and the contests are widely seen as a litmus test for Sir Keir’s survival hopes.

Mr Reed insisted the delay was ‘locally driven’ and said holding elections for councils to be abolished could slow down vital reforms that would save money in the long term.

In a letter to council leaders today, the Local Government Secretary said: ‘I am aware that many of the local councils undergoing restructuring have expressed genuine concern about the pressure they are under as they seek to deliver the most ambitious reforms to local government in a generation.’

Mr Reed said £63 million would be made available to local authorities in the process of restructuring.

He added: ‘My officers will be in contact with affected councils to understand whether further practical support will be required.’

But Major Richard Wright, Chairman of the District Councils Network, said: ‘Council officers, councilors and local voters will be stunned by the relentless changes to the election calendar.

‘The government assured councils that elections could be legally annulled but now ministers appear to have come to the opposite conclusion. The Government, not councils acting in good faith, should bear responsibility for this mess which is affecting people’s faith in our beloved local democracy.

‘Affected councils face an unnecessary race against time with polling stations booked and constituency staff on hand to ensure elections run smoothly and fairly.

‘If election cancellations were deemed necessary to free up capacity for local government restructuring to be successful, councils will now be asking where this fits into the restructuring timetable.

‘We need to have confidence in the Government’s decision-making as we work on the biggest council reshuffle in 50 years; but the Government gives us little assurance that it has a strong understanding of the huge legal complexity involved.’

Kemi Badenoch welcomed the change and admitted some Conservatives who supported the delays now look ‘really stupid’