Issue - meetings

(i)              That the receipt of a letter from the Minister for Local Government & Homelessness in respect of the invitation for Councils to seek postponement of local authority elections in May 2026, be noted;

(ii)             That it be agreed that elections to Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council will proceed as planned in May 2026;

(iii)           That it be noted that the Leader and Chief Executive will confirm to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government by 15^th January 2026 that there is no change to the planned elections for May 2026.

The Leader introduced a report updating Cabinet on correspondence from the Minister for Local Government and Homelessness received on 18 December, 2025 and the response which would be sent from this Council.

The correspondence offered councils, who were involved in local government reorganisation,  the option to postpone the local government elections in May, 2026.  The Leader had stated that he did not think that acceptable and that elections should proceed as planned at Newcastle.

A letter would be sent back by 15 January stating that this Authority wished for the elections to go ahead and saw no reasons why they should not.  Parish Council elections would be taking place and therefore money savings would be miniscule.  In addition, the future of local government reorganisation was still uncertain date-wise and could be pushed back.

Councillor Fear endorsed the Leader’s approach, noting that democracy mattered and this was just another coordinated attack on basic freedoms in this country.

Councillor Sweeney stated that the forced local government reorganisation was a disaster which would not save money or give better services.

The Leader stated that he would be working with the Chief Executive to ensure that this Council’s comments were sent back to the Government before the deadline. 

Resolved:    (i)       That the receipt of a letter from the Minister for Local

Government & Homelessness in respect of the invitation for Councils to seek postponement of local authority elections in May 2026, be noted;

(ii)     That it be agreed that elections to Newcastle-under-Lyme

Borough Council will proceed as planned in May 2026;

(iii)           That it be noted that the Leader and Chief Executive will confirm to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government by 15^th January 2026 that there is no change to the planned elections for May 2026.

Watch the debate here