Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 November 2025 to Question 87207 on Local Government: Reorganisation, whether considers Thurrock's financial circumstances to be sufficiently strong justification for cancelling the 2026 elections; and whether he considers those circumstances to be equivalent to Surrey's.

On the handling of Thurrock Council’s debt, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 77936 on 13 October 2025.

Our starting point remains for all elections in 2026 to go ahead unless there is strong justification otherwise.

The elections in May 2026 to the new councils of East Surrey and West Surrey will replace scheduled council elections, subject to Parliament. Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock are on a different timeline and I have today updated the House on the consultation on their proposals for unitary councils. We anticipate elections to any new councils in May 2027, with a ‘go live’ date for new authorities of April 2028. We are not cancelling elections in Thurrock in May 2026.