Local Government: Elections
(asked on 5th January 2026) - View Source
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 10 December 2025, to Question 97532 on Local Government: Elections, what consideration was given by Ministers to consulting the Electoral Commission before the cancelation of the 2026 mayoral elections.
Answered by
Miatta Fahnbulleh
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government has announced that it is minded to hold the inaugural mayoral elections for Sussex and Brighton, Hampshire and the Solent, Norfolk and Suffolk, and Greater Essex in May 2028, with areas completing the local government reorganisation process before Mayors take office.
The inaugural elections have been postponed because devolution is strongest when it is built on strong foundations, and Government will keep the Electoral Commission informed as we proceed.
The Government intends to establish Mayoral Strategic Authorities via secondary legislation for all the Devolution Priority Programme areas as soon as possible, subject to the councils’ consent.