Cllr Michael Edwards is the Leader of the Conservative Group on Hastings Borough Council.
The Local Government Minister, Alison McGovern, has invited councils wishing to cancel their May 2026 elections to submit a formal request, which she will consider on its merits. This offer is directly linked to the advanced programme of Local Government Reform (LGR), which proposes replacing existing county, borough and district councils with a single unitary authority.
Hastings Borough Council (HBC) is one of six borough and district councils in East Sussex involved in developing the county’s proposals. This has been a politically demanding process. HBC currently has no overall control: the Greens form the executive, supported on an ad hoc basis by the Hastings Independents and the Labour Group. The Conservative Group has taken the view that, where policies serve the interests of local residents, we will support them and we have done so consistently.
Debate within the HBC LGR working group has been vigorous, balancing several competing priorities. First, the views of local residents are essential; we were elected to represent Hastings and St Leonards, and meaningful consultation is non‑negotiable. Second, we have had to remain aligned with the progress of the other boroughs and districts to avoid divergence that could undermine the countywide submission. Third, the county council has played a key role in drawing together differing perspectives, although it should be noted that the Conservative-controlled county council deferred production of the draft proposals to the Liberal Democrat-controlled Lewes District Council.
Meanwhile, the pressure on council officers has been immense. Like many authorities, we face severe financial challenges, particularly around homelessness, which has created a significant budget deficit. Cost‑reduction measures in recent years have resulted in staff departures at all levels, and our headcount has fallen by half. This has placed enormous strain on remaining staff and the additional workload created by LGR has only intensified an already critical situation as we strive to maintain essential services.
Nationally, the government’s approach to election cancellations has provoked strong criticism from Conservative Party Leader Kemi Badenoch and other senior shadow ministers, who rightly emphasise the importance of routine democratic elections. The Reform Party which stands to gain from local elections has also called for the original schedule to be observed.
However, whilst I respect the national Party’s position, I believe Hastings Borough Council faces exceptional circumstances that justify the cross-party request to cancel the May 2026 borough elections. All four group leaders signed a joint letter to the Secretary of State, Steve Reed, before Christmas. Our reasoning includes:
- Protecting the LGR submission: A change in political composition could derail Hastings’ contribution to the countywide LGR proposal, potentially undermining the submissions of all Sussex councils and jeopardising our place in the Priority Programme.
- Officer capacity: The council simply does not have the staffing capacity to run a full election while simultaneously delivering the LGR process.
- Service delivery: As a deprived borough, we must maintain focus on delivering essential services in line with our agreed priorities. Residents expect and deserve this.
- Cost: A May election would cost in excess of £100,000 — a significant burden given our financial position.
- Candidate availability: Like other parties, we may struggle to field sixteen suitably qualified and motivated Conservative candidates. Public trust in politics has declined, and many people are reluctant to stand. Moreover, any councillor elected in 2026 would serve only one year before the authority is dissolved and replaced by the new unitary council. With the mayoral election now postponed until 2028, there is no compelling reason to hold a borough election in 2026.
For these reasons, my Conservative Group colleagues and I are content, on this occasion, to differ from the national Party leadership.
