Lee Anderson’s blistering three-word warning to Keir Starmer after Labour election delay.uk
The areas affected by delayed local elections are reportedly areas where Reform is hoping to make gains, such as Essex, Suffolk, and Hertfordshire.
Lee Anderson fumed at Keir Starmer’s decision to postpone some local elections. (Image: Getty)
Lee Anderson had a blistering three-word message for Keir Starmer following the revelation that some local elections have been postponed.
The crucial elections were due to take place in May 2025 but are now understood to have been pushed back to 2026 or 2027, with all 21 county councils needing to submit restructuring plans by mid-January.
The affected areas would reportedly be Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, and Sussex, according to LBC, which are all areas in which Reform UK are hoping to make gains.
Reform have been fiercely vocal in their opposition to this change, with leader Nigel Farage
The party also took to social media platform X to voice their anger, posting a video with the caption: “The only threat to democracy is Labour cancelling elections to stop the Reform surge.”
In response, Chief Whip Anderson added his own cutting three-word message to Starmer and Labour: “Threat to democracy.”
Local Government Minister Jim McMahon said Labour “may look at postponing” some local elections, but “it wouldn’t be for longer than a couple of months, a year”.
This is a result of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner‘s newly announced devolution white paper, which plans to merge county and district councils in areas government by the two-tier system.
Ministers say the larger authorities that will be created from the change, home to roughly 500,000 people each, will be more empowered as a result.
Farage fumed at this decision, calling the government “desperate” and accusing them of targeting areas where Reform is making gains.
He said: “[Cancelling elections] in some areas of the country where Reform are gaining momentum is the act of a desperate government. They have the audacity to call us a threat to democracy whilst they act like third world dictators.”
His party has also been forced to deny claims it’s in forming electoral pacts with the Tories ahead of the local elections.
Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that local candidates have discussed teaming up so they stand a better chance of taking down Labour.
However, this was quickly refuted by Reform. Chairman Zia Yusuf insisted: “Let me be crystal clear: there will be no pacts.”
An insider source added claims are “fake” and Reform has “a full slate of candidates and campaigning hard across the country for every seat and vote”.
Ahead of the May elections, the Tories are trying to defend 1,335 council seats, while the Liberal Democrats have 315, and Labour 309.
