Rugby Borough Council: Elections WILL go ahead in 2026 after government backs down to Reform’s legal challenge
14 out of Rugby's 42 borough councillors will now be up for re-election.
Rugby Borough Council’s 2026 elections will go ahead after the government backed down to Reform UK’s legal challenge over the decision.
Councils that were both due to hold ballots this year and be abolished by April 2028 through local government reorganisation were invited by the Labour-led government to state whether holding the votes would materially impact on work to move towards unitary councils.
All 30 out of the 63 affected councils that requested to scrap 2026 elections were initially given the green light, including Labour-led Rugby Borough Council.
However, Reform’s challenge via the High Court has seen the plans dropped and the elections will now go ahead.
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed MP wrote to all council leaders affected on Monday, detailing how the court had been told he had “decided to withdraw his decision to postpone the council elections… in the light of recent legal advice”.
The submission continued: “The secretary (of) state invited the housing minister, who was not involved in the initial decision-making, to reconsider the position afresh on a very urgent basis, recognising the pressing timescales involved."
“The housing minister has decided that the elections should proceed in May 2026.”
It also acknowledges that the government “will agree to pay” Reform’s legal costs.
It means 14 out of Rugby’s 42 borough councillors will be up for election this year after all, including leader Councillor Michael Moran (Lab, Admirals & Cawston).
Rugby runs with three councillors representing each of its 14 wards. Serving on separate four-year cycles, elections are held in every year that there is not a county council election.
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. As well as Cllr Moran, cabinet member Councillor Alison Livesey (Lab, Coton & Boughton) is up for election this time,
Reform UK continues to poll well but whatever the outcome, at least 12 seats will still be held by the Conservatives, 10 by Labour and six by the Liberals. While 14 would be up for grabs, 22 would be required for an outright majority.
Reform UK didn’t stand in any of the wards when these seats were last contested in 2022 but did go close when one of them was subject to a by-election in 2025.
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).
The news follows on from Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council choosing not to ask for its 2026 elections to be scrapped after Councillor Chris Watkins (Lab, Stockingford West) was deposed for backing the idea.