The government has confirmed that Exeter’s 2026 city council elections can be abandoned.
The city council’s Labour administration had asked the Secretary of State for local government Steve Reed for permission to call off the polls in May for 13 of the 39 seats on the local authority.
Leader Phil Bialyk (Lab, Exwick) had argued that the quarter of a million pounds cost of the elections would be better spent preparing for local government reorganisation. He also said valuable officer time would be better used in the preparations, rather than organising elections for a council that will cease to exist under the government’s reorganisation plans.
Opponents, however, said the move was undemocratic, while some accused Labour of ‘running scared’ from the polls, having done badly in the county council elections last year.
Labour councillors voted for Cllr Bialyk to write to the Secretary of State, setting out his view that the 2026 elections should be called off. Now Mr Reed has confirmed that they will be.
Exeter is one of 29 councils to have been given permission to shelve their elections for a year.
In his letter Mr Reed says: “This decision follows a comprehensive consideration of all the evidence available to me. I have listened to concerns regarding the resource pressures of running intensive elections for councils proposed for abolition shortly thereafter.
“By delaying these elections, I am confident that we will be releasing essential capacity within councils to allow your teams to focus their full energy on the complex reorganisation process, while also addressing concerns regarding the cost of holding elections for bodies that will soon cease to exist.”
Town and parish council elections will go ahead as planned.
Objectors claim 60-homes plan would be ‘gross overdevelopment’ of village
Four options to solve controversial Exeter traffic wrangle
Police update on Men missing at sea, Budleigh Salterton
Minister yet to decide on Exeter elections postponement
Whipton Barton Federation Awarded Prestigious IQM Centre of Excellence for Inclusive Education
Expanded Community Safety Team to tackle anti-social behaviour
Strong performance for Exeter subjects in global THE rankings
Landlords in Exeter with empty homes to fill should contact the council
