Warwickshire County Council leader fumes over prospect of cancelling borough elections in Rugby
Rugby Borough Council is to be asked whether they wish to cancel May’s local elections – and the Reform UK leader of Warwickshire County Council is not happy.
The government announced on Thursday December 18 that it was consulting with 63 councils that are both due to hold elections in 2026 and scheduled to be abolished as part of local government reorganisation by April 2028.
All remaining two-tier areas – places where there are county councils supported by district and borough councils – like Warwickshire are being asked to form unitary authorities, bringing the functions under one level of local government.
On the current timetable, elections for the new authority are due to be held in May 2027 ahead of a transitional year with those elected officials then taking full charge from April 2028.
The complexity of that work and the cost of holding elections for councillors who will only serve two years – one with full powers and one in a handover period – has been put forward as the rationale for leaving things as they are, but with the political landscape changing massively with the rise of Reform UK the counter accusation is that the traditional parties are avoiding ballots.
Finch: Let Warwickshire decide
Warwickshire County Council leader Councillor George Finch (Reform UK, Bedworth Central), whose party took control in May 2025 through elections that the then-ruling Conservative group sought to postpone, published via social media his letter to the government outlining his objections.
He supplemented that with a video in which he accused the Labour-run national government of “disregarding the electoral mandate” and argued his authority should have a say.
“It is only there as a weapon to control the fear of the Labour backbenches as they know that Reform UK is on the rise and will take control of this country at the next general election,” he said.
On the local ballots, he added: “Reform UK are the favourites to win those elections. If the Labour government allows local councils that are scared of losing their seats, losing their allowances, if they allow this to happen, they are complicit in stopping elections.
“We must all stand together now and tell this Labour government that we want to vote.
“It is not down to them, it is down to the elected representatives that are here in Warwickshire, the Reform-run Warwickshire County Council, and if these elections are not postponed the Reform-controlled Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council, and Rugby Borough Council.”
What exactly would be cancelled?
Earlier this year, Cllr Finch predicted Reform UK would “wipe the floor” in Rugby in 2026.
Although the respective electoral cycles limit the potential turnover, another turquoise tsunami would leave both councils with precarious political balances.
Rugby runs with three councillors representing each of its 14 wards with one up for election in each year that county elections are not held.
The current political balance is tight with Labour in charge despite being the second-largest party with 15 seats. That has been achieved with support from the Liberal Democrats who hold 10, ousting the Conservatives from power in 2024 despite them still holding 17.
Of the seats due for ballots in 2026, five are currently held by the Tories, five by Labour and four by the Lib Dems. They include the seats of leader Councillor Michael Moran (Lab, Admirals & Cawston) and cabinet member Councillor Alison Livesey (Lab, Coton & Boughton).
If they still go ahead, at least 12 would still be held by the Conservatives, 10 by Labour and six by the Liberals. While 14 would be up for grabs, 22 are required for an outright majority.
Reform UK didn’t stand in any of those seats in 2022 but did contest a by-election in one of them this year.
Dan Glover, who was one of two Rugby candidates to win election to Warwickshire County Council, missed out on the borough seat for New Bilton & Overslade to Labour’s Angela Thompson by just 56 votes (466 to 410).