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The UK government has decided to delay the scheduled elections for newly established mayoral roles in several parts of Southern England. According to sources within local government, elections originally planned for May 2026 in Essex and the combined counties of Norfolk and Suffolk will now take place at a later, unspecified date. This postponement has sparked criticism from opposition parties, with shadow local government secretary James Cleverly accusing Labour of undermining democratic processes.
These newly created mayoral positions were part of the government’s expanded devolution priority programme (DPP) announced in February. The initiative aimed to grant extensive powers to local authorities to accelerate regional growth, emphasizing that these roles would be introduced swiftly to empower local decision-making. However, there are also reports indicating that elections for the new mayor positions in Sussex and Hampshire might face similar delays. The Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government declined to comment on these leak reports.
Political reactions to the delay have been notable. Zia Yusuf of Reform UK has suggested that the government’s move might be an attempt to limit the party’s potential gains, as Labour lags behind in current polls. Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat spokesperson Zoe Franklin asserted a commitment to ensuring that the elections proceed as planned in May next year, highlighting that “democracy delayed is democracy denied.” Despite these responses, the reasons for postponing the elections in these regions remain unclear.
This is not the first instance of election delays under the broader devolution plans. Elections originally slated for May 2026 in Cumbria and in the soon-to-be merged councils of Cheshire and Warrington have already been postponed by a year. The delay in Cumbria was reportedly a cost-saving measure, while the Cheshire and Warrington election was rescheduled due to concerns expressed by local leaders. When the government introduced the DPP, they hailed it as crucial for unlocking regional development and addressing the long-standing centralization of political power in Whitehall. However, the association representing district councils cautioned at the time that these reforms might cause “turmoil,” warning that the formation of “mega-councils” could weaken local governance
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