Councils across England are rapidly applying to postpone this year’s local elections in order to merge into new regional authorities. Some claim that local people won’t be heard any more, but you have until March to tell your council what you think of the plans for regional government led by a mayor
By Christina Summers
This year, you might not receive your normal local election voting form.
Thanks to a sudden push by Starmer’s Government for devolution, 18 of England’s county councils have applied to postpone council elections until May 2026 to give them time to reorganise and merge into large regional authorities. After all, there is no point in voting for a district council that might be dissolved. While Labour had promised to “transfer power out of Westminster, and into our communities” (Labour Manifesto, p40), the Devolution White Paper’s sudden appearance (nine days before Christmas!) caused some councils to compromise the normal democratic process appropriate for such a huge issue. (Photo – Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer – wants large, mayor-led, regional authorities – Credit : official portrait)
County councils have to merge with smaller local councils and form new unitary authorities serving populations of at least 500,000. For example, if East and West Sussex councils merge, it would have to serve over 1.7m people. The Government anticipates that these new unitary authorities will be fully operational by April 2027 and 2028 and elections for regional mayors are expected in May 2026.
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Many county councils share the Government’s zeal to see super authorities, covering wide regions with greater powers to decide how to spend your taxes. But some councils are very worried about the threat to democracy; the District Councils’ Network warns that new, larger councils could erode local decision-making and community representation.
However, since the majority of county councils are Conservative-led, they seem only too happy to go with the programme. By delaying elections, Tory councils will avoid a likely wipe-out in May, probably by Reform UK.
Reform’s leader, Nigel Farage, has said as much: “I thought only dictators cancelled elections and yet what we see frankly from the Conservatives [is that] they know that Reform are coming for them… what they have done today is an act of political cowardice… it is denying people their democratic rights and frankly I’m angry I think the whole thing is a complete and utter disgrace” (Reform UK South East Conference, 10 January). (Photo – Nigel Farage – “Only dictators cancel elections” – Credit, House of Commons)
Not all Conservatives favour Labour’s form of devolution that essentially gives councils a Hobson’s Choice. The well-known ‘Conservative Home’ website says: “… the policy of unitarisation is a bad one – it was a bad policy when the Conservatives carried it out, but at least they did it on a case-by-case basis. The policy of forced unitarisation under Labour is even worse, representing the moving of local power away from the people in the name of ‘devolution’, a true example of Orwellian doublespeak” (David Jeffery, Conservative Home, 10 January). Incidentally, Conservative Home’s founder, Tim Montgomerie, defected to Reform last year.
By the time you read this you will know if your council has been approved for the ‘Devolution Priority Programme’ (DPP) – a carrot offering a fast-track route including possible mayoral elections in 2026.
Note that those councils which ARE going ahead with May’s elections are mainly those already in the throes of some kind of devolution, including two that are already established as ‘Mayoral Combined Authorities’. And mayor-led regional government is Starmer’s aim.
What you can do about it
- Respond to the Government’s public consultation before the end of March; it should be on your council’s website
- Raise an e-petition on their website and/or present a deputation at their next cabinet or full council meeting. Details on how to do these will be on their website if you search under ‘petition’ or ‘deputation’
- Call (and email) your local councillors – that’s what they’re there for!
- Write objections in your local news outlets and on your social media accounts and kick up a storm!
If you’d like help or advice with this issue, please contact Christina Summers at: devolutionengland@gmail.com
As we went to press, 18 councils had applied to postpone their elections. All, bar two, are Conservative and govern by the cabinet model which, unlike committees, is only represented by the governing party.
Only five councils – Devon, Essex, Kent, Leicestershire and the Isle of Wight – were noble enough to share the responsibility of such a decision with all councillors at a full council meeting. The rest either pushed it through via their cabinet (highlighted in grey) or, worse still, via the council leader (asterisked). (Click on image on left to download the table)
This data as to their political composition and who decided to request a postponement comes from their own websites.
Key to above table:
DPP – Devolution Priority Programme
Who made the decision to request election postponement?
Cabinet (not highlighted) – the full council, not just the cabinet
Cabinet (highlighted) – only the Cabinet
Cabinet * – the council leader alone