Government reverses decision to delay local council elections including Cannock and Tamworth

The government has abandoned plans to delay 30 council elections in England, including the Cannock Chase District Council, Tamworth Borough Council.

The decision was made following a legal challenge brough forward by Reform UK, which was due to be heard on High Court on Thursday.

These elections were initially expected to take place in May 2026 but had been delayed to May 2028 after the government argued that this was necessary to allow more time for Local Government Reorganisation. 

The full list of councils where elections were due to be postponed but will now take place include;

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce has also urged the government to reverse its decision in delaying the Devolution Priority Programme and commit unequivocally to the timetables already set out. 

This is one of two policy recommendations brought forward alongside forming key stakeholder forums with regular updates on the development of future new authorities.

The GBCC has also been conducting a research project - the Staffordshire Gateway Growth Panel – to develop clear policy recommendations to ensure a successful transition to the new authority or authorities in Staffordshire and to support economic growth in the region.

The launch of the report will take place on Friday, 27 March.

Pictured: Tamworth town centre