Everything you need to know about the local elections for Ipswich Borough Council and Suffolk County Council in May 2026.
2026 Local Elections in Ipswich
Candidates have now been confirmed for Ipswich's local elections on Thursday, 7 May — and with polling day less than four weeks away, here is everything you need to know before you cast your vote, including a full breakdown of the candidates.
2026 Local Elections in Ipswich
All local elections in Suffolk will now go ahead in May after the government withdrew its decision to postpone 30 council elections across England following legal advice and a legal challenge from Reform.
2026 Local Elections in Ipswich
When the Government confirmed on 22 January that Suffolk's local elections would not go ahead in May, it marked the end of a contentious political battle that exposed deep divisions between councils and across communities about what democracy means in the midst of local government reform.
2026 Local Elections in Ipswich
Local elections in Suffolk have been officially cancelled by the Government – a decision that is likely to prove highly contentious amongst residents.
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Conservative councillors at Suffolk County Council were instructed by their party whip to vote down an amendment supporting local elections going ahead in May, with one admitting he could have broken ranks but chose to be a "team player" instead.
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Ipswich Borough Council voted on Tuesday, 14 January, to request that the government postpone its May 2026 elections, citing concerns about capacity to deliver local government reorganisation.
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Opposition councillors have condemned Suffolk County Council for refusing to publicly support May's elections going ahead, accusing them of giving the government the "green light" to postpone democracy for a second time.
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North Ipswich & Central Suffolk MP Patrick Spencer has written to the Prime Minister, urging him to ensure local elections proceed in May 2026, citing a petition on his website that received 587 signatures in just over four weeks.
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Opposition councillors have raised fears that the Conservative-led county council will attempt to use local government reform as an excuse to avoid facing voters in May 2026, warning "democracy delayed is democracy denied".