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Ministers have insisted they are ‘on track' to announce the next tranche of reorganisation decisions before the middle of next month despite Keir Starmer's resignation.Speaking at a webinar on reorganisation hours after Starmer quit as Labour leader and Prime Minister, Alison McGovern said: ‘We are on track to announce decisions before the summer recess period.'A Whitehall source added: ‘We have been told we are committed to the timetable we've published, which is announcements before summer recess.'Andy Burnham, who could be in Downing Street within weeks if a challenger does not emerge, has long championed English devolution and stronger strategic authorities, but has generally framed reorganisation as a means of devolving power rather than an objective.Burnham's rise comes as the National Audit Office warned special educational needs and disabilities, children's services and adult social care had the ‘potential to bankrupt new councils, especially as they are being reformed (new legislation etc) while councils are being set up'.Reform UK-led Essex CC last week said it would challenge the Government in court over proposals to replace 15 councils with five unitary authorities by 2028. A letter Essex CC received from the Government in response to its threat of judicial review to reorganisation plans for the county revealed officials had recommended communities secretary Steve Reed should plump for the county's three-unitary proposal as it met all the criteria ‘more strongly than the other three proposals'. Officials also argued three unitaries was the ‘only proposal we assess to be financially viable within five years'. Despite the advice, Reed opted for a five-unitary option for the county earlier this year, when he announced plans for reorganisation in the Devolution Priority Programme areas of Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampshire and East and West Sussex. A string of counties – particularly those now led by Reform – and several districts have threatened legal action over Reed's decision. Essex CC leader Cllr Peter Harris described Reed overruling officials as ‘beyond staggering', adding: ‘It is as clear as day that ministers chose to ignore their officials in pursuit of what were clearly political goals, heaping millions of pounds in costs onto taxpayers in the process. To choose the worst financial option meant effectively jeopardising the future of services to our most vulnerable adults and children. The credibility of this whole process is in tatters.‘We will fight them [these proposals] robustly, using every tool at our disposal on behalf of our residents, and we are confident we can win.'Harlow Council's leader Cllr Dan Swords has written to ministers calling for a ‘pause and full review' of reorganisation proposals.In a letter to Reed, Swords said he would use ‘every mechanism available' to challenge the plans.The letter read: ‘To proceed would mean slowing regeneration, creating uncertainty for investors and partners, diverting resources from residents and placing at risk a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform our town. We are not prepared to do that.'Norfolk CC said it was not releasing its correspondence with the Government, but it is believed Whitehall officials advised ministers to back the county's proposal for a single unitary to replace county and district authorities in 2028. Nonetheless Reed opted for a three-unitary option.Reed has highlighted the importance of reorganisation reflecting ‘local identity' and for councils to be connected to communities.A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: ‘Our plans will speed up the construction of homes and infrastructure, improve public services and boost regional growth to put more money in people's pockets.'

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POLICY AND POLITICS

EXCLUSIVE: Reorganisation 'on track' despite Starmer resignation, McGovern insists

By Dan Peters, Paul Marinko | 23 June 2026

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