Mayor election delay is 'insult to democracy'

Candidates for the mayoral elections for Hampshire and the Solent have shared their frustrations at the "massively disappointing" decision to delay them by two years.

The government is set to postpone elections for newly created mayors in four areas of England, the BBC has confirmed.

Hampshire and the Solent has been selected to be on a fast track devolution programme, with the creation of a new combined authority and election of a mayor due in May next year. Whoever was chosen would have led the authority.

Conservative candidate Donna Jones called the delay "an insult to democracy," while Reform UK's candidate, Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry, said: "It's absolutely ridiculous - it's an excuse."

All five main parties had announced their candidates. Reform UK only revealed theirs on Wednesday.

The new mayoralties in Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, Hampshire and the Solent, and Sussex and Brighton will instead be contested in 2028.

Conservative Jones, who is currently Hampshire's Police and Crime Commissioner said: "The government's decision to delay the mayoral elections planned for 2026 is a disgrace and an affront to democracy. It is clear Labour are afraid to face the British public at the ballot box.

"The claims made by the Labour government that mayoral election delays are due to concerns with local government reorganisation is disgraceful and lays bare this government's incompetence.

"The devolution fast-track initiative will see the region gain power over transport, housing, education, healthcare and local economic development."

Rear Admiral Dr Chris Parry, the Reform UK mayoral candidate said: "I don't disagree with anything that Donna [Jones] has said.

"We have lost out on investment we are not sorting out our problems, we are not getting the leadership in our region that is needed both to be able to take on this government.

"Are we really saying that all these councils in these are so incompetent that they can't be ready for an election that they have known about for a year? It's absolutely ridiculous - it's an excuse."

"People are being denied their vote - it is quite ridiculous."

The Green party candidate, Anna Collar said she was also "extremely disappointed to hear this news".

She said: "Hampshire and the Solent desperately need regional strategic leadership in the form of the mayor to lower energy bills, make transport that works for everyone, and commit to regeneration for our communities and for nature."

But councillor Lorna Fielker, former leader of Southampton City Council, who is standing for Labour said: "I look forward to hitting the ground running in the 2028 mayoral contest with the support of our newly established local councils, and delivering the change that local residents need.

Martin Tod, the leader of Winchester City Council who is standing for the Liberal Democrats echoed Jones reaction to the delay, he said: "I was doing this because I and my Liberal Democrat colleagues wanted to get things moving - improving our environment, delivering growth, jobs and investment, getting more affordable homes, tackling the challenges of our health system, and fixing our transport.

"Clearly I'm going to have to think of other ways to do it – at least for the next two-and-a-half years.

Conservative leader of Hampshire County Council Nick Adams-King said news of the delay was "massively disappointing".

He said he had been "reassured that this delay will not affect the creation of the new combined authority, nor the transfer of powers and funding from Westminster.

"Devolution will still begin next year, bringing real benefits to Hampshire and the Solent.

"Given the size and importance of Hampshire and the Solent, it's vital that our voice is heard nationally. Until a mayor is elected, I am calling for the leaders of the combined authority to represent us on the Council of Nations and Regions, ensuring our economy and communities have the influence they deserve."

Labour's Fielker added: "I'm delighted that Hampshire, Solent and the Isle of Wight will receive our share of £200m annually, which the six devolution priority regions will receive for the next 30 years.

"This could help us build the much-needed homes our area urgently needs."

In a statement, Steve Reed, the housing, communities and local government secretary, said the government was "minded" to push mayoral elections in the four areas back to 2028 with them completing the local government reorganisation process before the mayors took office.

He said: "This is because devolution is strongest when it is built on strong foundations, therefore moving forward we will ensure strong unitary structures are in place before areas take on mayoral devolution."