Local elections have been postponed for millions of voters in nine council areas until 2026, Angela Rayner announced on Wednesday.
The Deputy Prime Minister confirmed the delay affects areas including Essex, Hampshire and Surrey as part of a major council reorganisation.
Eight of the affected councils are Conservative-controlled, including East Sussex, West Sussex, Norfolk and Suffolk.
Reform UK had been expected to perform strongly in Essex and Thurrock.
Nigel Farage launched a scathing attack on the decision, telling The Times: “I thought that only dictators cancelled elections but what I see today is collusion to stave off the threat of Reform UK on May 1.”
Rayner defended the decision in Parliament, stating: “We’re not in the business of holding elections to bodies that won’t exist and where we don’t know what will replace them.”
She insisted the bar for postponement was “high, and rightly so”.
Shadow Communities Secretary Kevin Hollinrake accused Labour of rushing the process, saying: “There has been no attempt to gather consensus within two-tier areas. Local residents have not been consulted.”
He claimed council leaders had “a gun to their head” from Labour.
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