City Council Wonders If Elections Are Just A Bit Too Much Right Now
Peterborough City Council is flirting with the idea of cancelling its 2026 local elections, as if democracy were an optional module you can drop in your second year. The government has politely asked whether the city would like to postpone the vote for a year to “free up capacity” for Local Government Reorganisation, which is Westminster’s way of saying: we are changing everything, please stop moving.
With 18 councillors due to face the public in May, the political groups have reacted with all the grace and self‑interest you would expect from a city that can barely agree on where to put a bus stop.
Labour, currently running the council, responded with the kind of managerial calm usually reserved for HR emails about “new workplace values”. They welcome the opportunity to consider the opportunity, which is a beautifully circular way of saying absolutely nothing. They are not committing to holding the elections, nor are they committing to postponing them. They are committing to a meeting. Preferably one with biscuits. With six seats up, Labour is understandably wondering whether it is better to face the voters now or after everyone has forgotten the last council tax bill.
The Conservatives, meanwhile, have rediscovered their passion for democracy. They are outraged at the idea of postponing the elections, insisting it would undermine the sacred expectation of democratic participation. This is a bold stance from a party that had no elections at all in 2025, but enthusiasm is enthusiasm. With four seats up, they are ready to march into the polling stations like a gym member who has suddenly remembered their New Year’s resolution.
The Liberal Democrats are, as ever, taking the scenic route to a decision. Their leader is keeping an open mind, a cautious tone and a very close eye on the 15,000 postal voters who still need to reapply by January 2026. With three seats up, the Lib Dems are carefully weighing the pros and cons, possibly with a spreadsheet, a risk matrix and a colour‑coded flowchart.
The Greens delivered the most efficient response of the entire saga. They are against postponing the elections because it is not democratic. That is the whole statement. No elaboration. No hedging. No footnotes. If only all council reports were this concise. With just one seat up, they are ready to face the voters, ideally in a polling station made of reclaimed pallets.
The Independents, represented loudly and at length by Mark Ormston, are firmly opposed to any postponement. He delivered a full monologue on why the idea is dangerous, overly ambitious and likely to end in chaos. He warned that the government does not have the capacity to manage nationwide reorganisation at this pace, and that delaying elections risks setting a precedent for cancelling more of them. With three seats up, the Independents appear eager to get on with it, possibly because they actually enjoy campaigning, which is a worrying personality trait in itself.
And then there is Peterborough First, who were contacted for comment and responded with the political equivalent of a shrug. Silence. Nothing. Not even a polite “no comment”. Their three councillors up for re‑election will presumably find out the plan at the same time as the rest of us, which feels very on brand for a group that often behaves like Peterborough Last…… Calm down, it’s a joke.
So here we are. A city council wondering whether democracy is simply too much admin for 2026. A government urging everyone to hold still while it redraws the map. And 18 councillors quietly checking their diaries, their prospects and their nerves.
If Peterborough does take a gap year from democracy, it will be the most Peterborough thing Peterborough has ever done.
If Peterborough City Council Cancels Elections, What Might It Do Instead?
1. Hold a citywide rock paper scissors tournament
Winner becomes mayor. Loser chairs scrutiny.
2. Replace councillors with AI chatbots
Finally, meetings that finish on time.
3. Let the Cathedral peregrine falcons choose the cabinet
Frankly, they could not do worse.
4. Introduce a new system called “Democracy Plus”
Same as democracy, but with a subscription fee.
5. Ask the people of Peterborough to vote on whether they want to vote
This will take three years and cost £4.2 million.
