Labour accused of 'scandalous attempt to subvert democracy' as four mayoral elections to be postponed

Four mayoral elections owed to instrumentality spot successful May 2026 are acceptable to beryllium postponed by 2 years, Sky News understands.

Elections for the caller mayoralties of Essex, Hampshire and the Solent, Sussex and Brighton, and Norfolk and Suffolk volition beryllium pushed backmost until 2028.

The decision, first revealed by The Sun, is owed to beryllium announced by ministers connected Thursday.

This is the 2nd clip elections are being delayed successful these areas. Local elections owed successful May 2025 were delayed by past communities caput Angela Rayner for a twelvemonth successful bid to person them into combined authorities led by mayors.

However, it is understood that these councils request much clip to implicit their reorganisation.

The quality has sparked accusations Labour are delaying the elections for governmental purposes.

Reform UK's caput of argumentation Zia Yusuf said: "This is simply a blatant effort to halt large Reform wins adjacent May.

"It's an enactment of a hopeless authorities who are clinging onto powerfulness by immoderate means necessary.

"Labour has proven clip and clip again that they're not beyond denying ideology to millions of radical successful bid to support their cosy presumption quo."

The Tories' shadiness lodging caput James Cleverly said it was a "scandalous effort to subvert ideology by a Labour authorities whose credibility and popularity are already successful tatters".

"The Conservatives firmly reason this determination to hold the mayoral elections, particularly erstwhile candidates person been selected and campaigning is good nether way," helium added.

"Democracy is being denied yet again aft the assembly elections cancelled by Labour this year.

"There is nary credible justification for this move. The Labour authorities indispensable reverse it immediately."

The reorganisation is portion of Labour's manifesto committedness to widen devolution, which it argues volition amended section economies.

The authorities wants to abolish the two-tier strategy of region and territory councils and merge them unneurotic to make larger unitary authorities. It besides wants much areas to person determination mayors, similar Greater Manchester's Andy Burnham.

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Reform UK enjoyed occurrence successful the section elections successful May, winning much than 600 seats and taking power of 10 councils stretching from Kent to County Durham. The enactment besides toppled a 14,000-strong Labour bulk successful a parliamentary by-election.

The Liberal Democrats' section authorities spokesperson Zoe Franklin called the postponed elections "a disgrace".

"Democracy delayed is ideology denied," she added. "We are warring to extremity this blatant stitch up betwixt Labour and the Conservatives implicit section elections."