Jennifer McKiernanPolitical reporter
Elections for newly-created mayors will be delayed in four more areas of England, the BBC has confirmed, pushing back regional devolution plans.
New mayors were expected to be elected in Greater Essex, Norfolk & Suffolk, Hampshire & the Solent, and Sussex & Brighton in May next year, but will now have to wait until May 2028.
The government is arguing that more time is needed to reorganise local government in these areas, but stressed more homes, better high streets and support for business were “all on the way”.
But opposition parties are calling for the elections to go ahead as planned, with shadow local government secretary Sir James Cleverly accusing Labour of “subverting democracy”.
Speaking to broadcasters in Scotland, Sir Keir Starmer was asked if the delays were effectively cancelling democracy.
He responded: “No, there are various arrangements being put in place to ensure all the elections could take place at the right time, depending on the configurations of the council and other arrangements.”
The new mayors are part of a simplification of local government, aimed at reducing the number of councils, by merging district and county authorities to create unitary authorities.
Groups of unitary authorities will be headed up by new mayors, who will be handed more funding and extra powers to run their area, intended to hand greater power to local communities.
However, the body representing district councils warned at the time that the plans could spark “turmoil” and argued “mega-councils” could undermine local decision-making.
Earlier this year, 18 councils requested a delay to their planned May elections due to incomplete reorganisation into eight unitary authorities – and critics are concerned the announcement of delays to mayoral elections could lead to further elections being cancelled.
In an urgent Commons question on the mayoral election delays, Conservative MP and shadow local government minister David Simmonds, said the decision had caused “a huge waste of public money for elections we are all ready for”.
In light of the mayoral delay, Simmonds asked whether council elections planned for next May could also be delayed.
“Elections are happening in 2026, we are cracking on with it,” Devolution Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh replied, insisting “we have been absolutely consistent” on local elections.
She added: “As a responsible government you would expect t
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