County council elections postponed until next year

The government has confirmed that a county council's elections due to take place in May will be postponed for a year.

The deferral of Norfolk County Council's elections is part of a planned devolution deal announced by the government, which will see existing councils abolished and replaced by new authorities, with a mayor overseeing Norfolk and Suffolk.

Adrian Ramsay, the Waveney Valley MP and Green Party co-leader, called the plans "anti-democratic", and Rupert Lowe, the Reform UK MP for Great Yarmouth, said the move was "an outrage".

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said it would be "expensive and irresponsible" to hold elections for "bodies that won't exist".

Norfolk County Council was one of several councils to ask for elections to be postponed.

Rayner said voting would now take place in May 2026, after reorganisation has taken place.

Elections in Cumbria, Somerset and North Yorkshire were postponed in 2021, after proposals were submitted to create unitary authorities in those areas.

Conservative council leader Kay Mason Billig welcomed the news that talks could move forward on devolution

The county will share a mayor with Suffolk, whilst its existing county council and seven district councils will be abolished.

They most likely will be replaced by one, two or possibly three authorities.

Areas that have undergone devolution have received more funding from the government and greater control over areas such as planning and transport.

Kay Mason Billig, the Conservative leader of Norfolk County Council, said she was "delighted" that talks on a devolution deal could move forwards.

She said it showed confidence from ministers that economic growth and jobs could be delivered in Norfolk – and that a new system, with fewer councils, would be more "cost-effective and efficient".

Green MP Adrian Ramsay said that postponing elections was "anti-democratic"

Ramsay, however, warned the new authorities would be "huge, remote councils" with less connection to local people.

"It's hard to think of anything more anti-democratic than cancelling elections ahead of a significant change in local democracy. It's straight out of an authoritarian playbook," he added.

Lowe insisted that "stripping my constituents of their democratic vote is an outrage".

He said that after May, when the terms of current council members were due to end, he would "not refer to them as councillors".

Reform UK's Rupert Lowe said the decision to postponed elections was an "arrogant scam"

Brian Watkins, the leader of the Liberal Democrats on the authority, said he welcomed the opportunity for devolution as it "brings with it a lot of opportunity".

He added he was "deeply concerned" about elections being put off because any deal would be "negotiated by a Conservative administration, which has run its course".

Steve Morphew, the authority's Labour group leader, described Raynor's announcement as "probably the best news Norfolk has had in many years".

He said devolution would leave Norfolk "incredibly well placed to attract investment and generate prosperity".