Council elections may be cancelled for more than five million Britons amid panic that Reform UK victories may grind Labour’s overhaul of local government to a halt.

The Government is weighing up private requests from seven Conservative county council leaders to postpone next May’s elections.

Labour is planning to scrap the two-tier system of local government, which sees county and district councils in operation.

In their place, the Government is hoping to introduce a number of larger councils led by elected mayors – who will have a host of devolved decision-making powers.

Seven local elections in Conservative-majority county councils were postponed until 2026 in preparation for the new system of local governance to be put in place.

However, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampshire, Surrey, Essex, East and West Sussex county council leaders are now “lobbying hard” for the Government to push back the elections once more to 2027, according to The Times.

The move would see the Tory-run councils handed a six-year term as opposed to the standard five years.

One Conservative council leader said: “Officially, we are prepared to go ahead. But privately we are saying elections would be a huge waste.

“Officials and councillors would spend months preparing for them, and then you will probably get a new Reform administration which will frustrate progress.”

Mayoral elections for four brand new positions would still go ahead as planned next year.

Another county council leader said: “We are lobbying hard for their elections to be delayed because we are confident we will get Reform mayors next year.

“Having Reform mayors and Reform council leaders who are all brand new will create instability as to what’s gone before and what needs to be achieved.”

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Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice blasted the “terrified Tories” and “scared socialists” over the potential postponement.

The Boston & Skegness MP wrote on social media: “Trying to cancel hundreds more council elections for a second year… Destroying democracy.

“[They] know that Reform UK will win.”

According to a Government source, a move to delay is being considered “very carefully”.

They added: “Democracies are in crisis across the world, and we need to be really careful not to run an expensive election that does not have any meaning at all.”

Devolution Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh is believed to have met Conservative council leaders over the past week to discuss the plans.

Labour MPs are thought to have doubts whether the Government will be able to pull off the dramatic shake-up to local governance structure, which would see all 164 of England’s district councils axed.

Some believe the introduction of mayors could allow Reform to frustrate Labour plans from being put into motion.

A spokesman for the Government said: “We are clear that the starting point is for all elections to go ahead unless there is strong justification otherwise.”

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