Keir Starmer shifts blame as he attacks local councils on cancelling elections U-turn

He said: “Well, I think it’s important to remind ourselves that the decision to cancel was a locally led decision, in the sense that each authority could decide.

“And, yes, Labour authorities came forward to say, ‘please delay’, but so did Tory authorities, so did Lib Dem authorities.”

Addressing the legal challenge brought forward by Reform UK, Sir Keir added: “In relation to the position, we took further legal advice and, as you would expect as a Government, having got further legal advice, we followed that legal advice.”

The Labour Government was compelled to abandon its plans to postpone local council elections after facing an imminent court battle brought by Reform UK, with senior figures acknowledging privately that the reversal was unavoidable.

The refusal to explain how the legal position shifted has left opposition parties questioning the government’s transparency over a decision that has caused significant disruption to local democracy.

The electoral landscape presents mixed fortunes across party lines. Labour currently holds 21 of the 30 English councils where votes were set to be postponed, and polling suggests defending all these seats would have proved challenging.

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Supporters of Local Government Secretary Steve Reed maintain that shifting legal guidance prompted the policy change, though they have declined to elaborate on specifics. “We’re trying to make policy while live legal advice is fed in,” one official explained. “It’s never going to be perfect.”

The likelihood of losing in court appears to have been a decisive factor.

Despite the case being withdrawn, the government remains liable for substantial legal expenses. Reform UK’s costs alone are reported to exceed £100,000, with ministers also facing their own lawyers’ bills.

Local authorities now confront the daunting task of preparing complex multi-ward elections with barely ten weeks’ notice. Ballot papers must be printed and polling stations readied in a fraction of the usual timeframe.

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Downing Street had anticipated that Nigel Farage would claim the climbdown as his triumph, given ministers backed down before the legal challenge could proceed.

Those close to the decision-making process have described feeling frustrated and deflated by the outcome.

The District Councils Network, representing many of the smaller authorities affected, has warned that voters will be “bewildered” by the sudden reinstatement of these contests.

Ministers have pledged to assist councils navigating this compressed preparation period. Many of these stretched local authorities had initially welcomed the proposed delays, but must now rapidly mobilise their electoral machinery for 7 May.

The political fallout from this reversal shows no sign of abating. Both the Conservative Party and Liberal Democrats are pressing ministers to release the legal advice that informed their decision-making.

Whitehall sources indicate such disclosure will be strongly resisted.

The Liberal Democrats are weighing up whether to deploy their forthcoming opposition day debate in the Commons to compel the government to provide a full account of events.

Publication of the legal guidance would likely reveal whether ministers were explicitly warned they faced defeat in court, potentially deepening the embarrassment for Reed and his department.

The reinstated elections may equally amplify Conservative difficulties, with Kemi Badenoch’s party holding numerous seats now back in play.

Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party stand to benefit from the expanded electoral battleground, viewing 7 May as an opportunity to strengthen their local government presence.

Regarding Reform’s demands that Reed step down, a government source was dismissive: “We’re not Manchester United. It’s not like we’re having one managerial resignation a month.”

The episode marks a significant humiliation for the Local Government Secretary nonetheless.