Only central government has the authority to decide whether local elections are postponed – and must do so quickly to give everyone certainty - Suffolk County Councillors have said.
This comes as councillors highlighted the essential capacity issues that are being caused by major reforms to local government.
With Suffolk County Council about to undergo a complex transition process to either one or multiple unitary authorities, and local elections planned for May 2026, the minister for local government and homelessness, Alison McGovern MP, has written to over 60 councils with elections planned and asked if a delay would release capacity to deliver the much-needed reforms.
The debate was followed by a Cabinet meeting, to formally agree whether the leader of the council should submit a response to the minister’s letter, made in a Written Ministerial Statement (WMS) in December 2025.
Councillor Matthew Hicks, Leader of Suffolk County Council, said:
“The decision to delay these elections does not rest with Suffolk County Council, nor with any individual councillor in this chamber. Our mandate is to serve, not to determine the terms of our service.
“This is a decision for Government, and Government alone. Any change to the date of elections must be made by the government. It is for Ministers to decide, to announce, and to lay the necessary legislation. This is a matter of constitutional order and the rule of law, and it is vital that we respect these boundaries.
“I object to councillors across the country being used as a shield which the government may use to hide from the accountability of making such decisions. We should stay in our lane, and the government should stay in its lane.
“Running councils, delivering quality public services, and protecting the most vulnerable people in our communities is already a highly complex piece of work. Layer on local government reorganisation and the uncertainty of not knowing whether the government will support our One Suffolk proposal or the alternative for multiple councils. You begin to understand the immense scale of this piece of work.”
Following the full council debate, 39 councillors voted in favour of responding to the government’s request, 14 voted against and 7 abstained.
This debate sits within the wider context of Suffolk undergoing the largest shake-up of local government the county has seen in over 50 years.
LGR will see the abolition of the Suffolk County Council, along with the district and borough councils. Instead, there will be a new unitary council/s delivering all services across Suffolk.
A decision on the outcome of LGR in Suffolk is expected in the coming months. Last week saw the end of the government’s public consultation where Suffolk residents were able to leave their views on the two proposals – one for a single unitary authority and one for three unitary authorities in the county.
Following today’s debate, the government’s decision on local elections in Suffolk is expected in February, with elections planned for May 2026.
