Local elections in England and Wales are by statute held on the first Thursday in May. This has been changed in recent years: in 2001 they were delayed while an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease was dealt with. In 2004, 2009 &amp; 2014 local elections were delayed in order to allow the elections to be held simultaneously with the European Parliament. However the elections were separate in 2019. In all cases, the elections were held on Thursdays.