THE government has today given the opportunity for Thurrock Council to ask if it wishes to cancel next May's planned all out local elections.

The elections, originally scheduled in May this year, were postponed because of the pending changes to local governance outlined in the government's plans for Local Government Reorganisation, which will see the scrapping of Thurrock Council when it merges with other (as yet undetermined) local councils.

Earlier this month the government announced it was postponing planned 2026 elections for a new county-wide mayor to give regional councils a better chance to set up an effective mayoral authority.

Now it says it has listened to calls from some existing regional authorities saying that they do not believe that electing people to existing councils, which will then be scrapped within two years, makes sense.

Today (Thursday, 18 December) Housing, Communities and Local Government minister Alison McGovern addressed the House of Commons saying it had listened to those requests and that it was now inviting councils that wished to do so to ask to postpone elections in May – and that it would be 'minded' to approve.

Thurrock Council has been asked to comment on Ms McGovern's invitation. Thurrock is not one of the councils that had previously asked the government to consider postponement.

Thurrock Nub News is awaiting a response to today's announcement and will publish it as soon as it is received. Ms McGovern said councils have had