JAMES McMurdock MP has criticised the Government after confirming that Basildon Borough Council’s election scheduled for 2027 will be cancelled as part of local government reorganisation, with incumbent councillors having their terms extended.
The decision means that around a third of councillors at Basildon Borough Council due to face election in 2027 will instead remain in post without going to the electorate until the council is abolished in 2028, a move Mr McMurdock says raises serious concerns about democratic accountability.
The Member of Parliament for South Basildon and East Thurrock have raised the issue repeatedly with ministers through Written Parliamentary Questions in recent months, pressing for clarity on whether the 2027 elections would proceed. The Government has now confirmed to him for the first time that they will not.
Mr McMurdock said:
“Local elections are a cornerstone of democratic accountability. Cancelling them and extending the terms of sitting councillors denies residents the opportunity to have their say. That should concern anyone who believes in democracy.”
He argued that there were clear and workable alternatives that would have preserved voters’ rights:
“If reorganisation is the justification, then elections should either proceed as planned alongside the new shadow authority elections, or they should have been brought forward to 2026. What should not happen is simply cancelling elections and keeping people in office without a vote.”
Mr McMurdock also questioned the political implications of the decision, pointing to the current administration in Basildon:
“It is difficult to ignore the fact that this decision benefits the incumbent Labour-Independent administration locally at a time when it looks like they’re going to lose their seats to Reform UK. By cancelling these elections, six Labour councillors and multiple independents supporting the administration who would otherwise be facing voters are effectively kept in post at a time when there is a clear likelihood they would lose their seats.”
He added:
“Residents are perfectly capable of making their own decisions at the ballot box. Preventing that choice from taking place risks undermining trust in the system and fuels the perception that decisions are being taken for political convenience rather than democratic principle.”
