Zia Yusuf hails 'historic day' for Reform UK after accusing Labour of 'appalling attempt to deny democracy'

After Reform UK launched a judicial review against the delay, Mr Steve Reed penned a letter to council leaders confirming Labour was abandoning its plan.

Mr Reed wrote: "The Government can confirm that all local elections in May 2026 will now go ahead.

"I recognise that many of the local councils undergoing reorganisation voiced genuine concerns about the pressure they are under as we seek to deliver the most ambitious reforms of local government in a generation."

Heaping praise on Reform UK's efforts to overturn the decision in the High Court, Mr Yusuf declared: "We're delighted. It's a historic day for the country. Huge credit to Nigel Farage, to Reform, to our lawyers and to everyone in the country who campaigned and lobbied against this appalling attempt to subvert and deny democracy for millions of people.

"And emphasis on again, because for millions of people actually, who were about to have elections cancelled on them again in May, this had already happened to them just last year."

Critiquing the letter penned by Mr Reed, Reform's policy chief added that he had seen "nothing like it".

Mr Yusuf said: "One of the most remarkable things I would say is that this letter from the Government, I've never really seen anything like it. It came, of course, on the day that the Government had been given a deadline by the judge of submitting its evidence.

"That deadline expired. The court hearing for Reform's judicial review was supposed to begin in two days time, so that's why they've done this.

"And the letter itself also said it was in light of 'new legal advice'. I'll tell you what that legal advice would have inevitably told the Prime Minister, that they were going to lose. So it's a great day for Reform, for the country, for the millions who will now get their right to vote in May."

Pressed by GB News star Ellie Costello on Reform UK's "lack of life experience" that critics are suggesting, Mr Yusuf teased Mr Farage's imminent announcement of his Shadow Cabinet.

Mr Yusuf told GB News: "Well, I think if we speak again in a few hours time, Nigel's going to be making an announcement imminently about his first Shadow Cabinet appointments, and you will see there will be some people in there with significant experience.

"But look, we maintain the point that while we do want some experience - yes, it is useful to have some people who can help us see around corners, help us - we're going to have an almighty battle on our hands, not of our own choice, but with the blob.

"Basically, our assumption is every non-democratic institution will be actively resistant to us. So it's useful to have some people like that, but the majority of our candidates in Parliament, in fact, for the vast majority and the majority of Nigel's cabinet, will be people who have achieved outstanding things in the real world.

"Whether that's health, whether that's transport, whether that's in the justice system, I think it's what the country needs now."

Reform UK MP Robert Jenrick has joined calls for Steve Reed's resignation after the Housing Secretary abandoned plans to cancel local elections for 4.5 million Britons.

Speaking to GB News, the Reform UK MP hailed the U-turn as a triumph for democratic principles, attributing it entirely to Nigel Farage's legal challenge against the postponement.

Mr Jenrick told GB News: "I do think Nigel’s right to say this is a resignation matter for the secretary of state.

"I don't like banding around those terms, they're overused in politics, but the secretary of state has made a big mistake here, and when you're dealing with something as fundamental as democracy and the right to vote, you should be exercising the greatest care."