Essex
English county in East of England; Reform-controlled, suing the government over its own LGR abolition.
On 7 September 2026, ministers withdrew the plan to replace Essex's county and district councils with five unitary authorities, citing legal advice. Next May's council elections in Essex will use today's boundaries.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics
Can Reform UK hold Essex County Council together while suing the government over its own abolition?
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UK Local Elections 2026Background
Essex is an English county in the East of England with a population of about 1.8 million. Its county council works alongside twelve district and borough councils, while Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock are unitary authorities.
Reform UK has controlled Essex County Council since May 2026, which puts one of its two largest administrations in charge of a budget of about £2bn and the county's statutory services, chiefly adult social care.
The county's structure was nearly redrawn in 2026. A plan for five unitary authorities, announced on 25 March, was withdrawn on 7 September after legal advice, so the two-tier system remains for now.
Essex avoids council abolition
The government announced on 25 March 2026 that Essex would be split into five new unitary authorities, replacing the county council and its twelve districts. On 18 May the Reform group at Essex County Council sent the Communities Secretary a pre-action letter citing six legal grounds for judicial review. Harlow Council filed its own judicial review on 22 July, calling the timetable "simply not deliverable".
On 7 September, local government minister Jim McMahon withdrew the Essex decision on legal advice, along with those for Hampshire, Norfolk and Suffolk. Essex's existing councils stay in place for next May's elections, which will run on current boundaries.
Essex tests Reform in government
Reform UK won control of Essex County Council on 7 May 2026. Peter Harris was elected group leader on 11 May, with Russell Quirk as deputy, and was due to be confirmed as council leader at the 28 May annual meeting at County Hall, Chelmsford. Essex and Lancashire are Reform's two largest councils.
On 28 May the council confirmed Bo Davis, a former Morgan Stanley vice-president, as head of an efficiency unit seeking savings across a budget of about £2bn. The Institute for Government calculates that legal duties take about 98% of comparable county spending, with adult social care alone at 71.6%, which leaves little room for discretionary cuts.
Essex sues over its own abolition
How many councils are now suing the government over local government reorganisation?
Why is Essex County Council suing the government over reorganisation?
What is Essex doing about Local Government Reorganisation?
Why is Essex being reorganised into unitary authorities?
Essex hits its budget spend wall
Who won Essex County Council in 2026?
What happened to Thurrock Council?
How many Reform UK councillors have quit since 2025?
What are the five new unitary authorities replacing Essex County Council?
When will Essex get a combined authority mayor?
What is Thurrock Council's financial situation?
Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 7 October 2026. Editorial standards.