The Labour government is facing furious accusations of subverting democracy after confirming it will postpone four high-profile mayoral elections by two years.
Elections pushed back to 2028
Sky News understands that four mayoral elections scheduled for May 2026 will now be delayed until 2028. The affected areas are the new mayoralties of Essex, Hampshire and the Solent, Sussex and Brighton, and Norfolk and Suffolk. Ministers are due to make the official announcement today, Thursday 4 December 2025.
This marks the second delay for elections in these regions. Local elections planned for May 2025 were previously postponed for a year by the then communities secretary, Angela Rayner. That move was intended to allow time to convert the councils into combined authorities led by directly elected mayors.
The government's stated reason for the new delay is that the councils require more time to complete their complex reorganisation into larger unitary authorities.
Opposition parties cry foul
The decision has ignited a fierce political backlash, with opposition parties alleging the postponement is politically motivated to avoid potential defeats.
Reform UK's head of policy, Zia Yusuf, launched a scathing attack, calling it "a blatant attempt to stop big Reform wins next May." He accused Labour of being "a desperate government who are clinging onto power by any means necessary" and claimed they were "not beyond denying democracy to millions of people."
The Conservative shadow housing secretary, James Cleverly, labelled the move a "scandalous attempt to subvert democracy by a Labour government whose credibility and popularity are already in tatters." He emphasised that the Tories firmly oppose the delay, especially as candidates have already been selected and campaigning is underway. "Democracy is being denied yet again," he added, referencing council elections cancelled earlier in the year.
The Liberal Democrats also joined the criticism. The party's local government spokesperson, Zoe Franklin, called the postponement "a disgrace," stating that "democracy delayed is democracy denied." She accused Labour and the Conservatives of a "blatant stitch up" over local elections.
Devolution drive and political context
The reorganisation forms part of Labour's manifesto commitment to widen devolution across England, arguing that creating larger, strategic authorities with regional mayors will boost local economies. The policy aims to abolish the two-tier system of county and district councils, merging them into unitary authorities.
The political stakes are high. Reform UK enjoyed significant success in the local elections in May, winning over 600 seats and taking control of 10 councils. The party also overturned a huge Labour majority in a parliamentary by-election, demonstrating its growing electoral threat.
With the new mayoral elections now set for 2028, the controversy over the timing is likely to fuel ongoing debates about devolution, local democracy, and the government's political strategy.
