ELECTIONS in Suffolk will be delayed after the Secretary of State for local government announced the Government's decision on devolution.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner, confirmed Suffolk's participation in the Government's devolution priority programme.

This means the county will not only be fast-tracked in scrapping district and borough councils but also be allowed to delay the May local elections.

Ms Rayner said: "These places will have a fast-track ticket to drive real change in their area.

"It's a plan for putting more money in people's pockets, it's a plan for quicker, better, cheaper transport designed with local people in mind, a plan for putting politics back in the service of working people."

She revealed there is a view to hold mayoral elections in May 2026.

Norfolk has also been chosen for the programme alongside Cumbria, Chesire, Warrington, Greater Essex, Hampshire and Solent, Sussex and Brighton.

Suffolk County Council asked the Government to delay the elections last month when it applied to be part of the priority programme, sparking backlash from councillors who believed the move was a threat to democracy.

Several councillors spoke in opposition during the meeting, and some district representatives decided to defect from the Conservative Party to show opposition.

On elections, Ms Rayner said: "We're not in the business of holding elections to bodies that won't exist and where we don't know what will replace them — this would be an expensive and irresponsible waste of taxpayer's money."

The devolution White Paper, released in December, outlined plans for the scrapped councils to be replaced with unitary authorities representing at least 500,000 people but with certain exceptions possible.

Ms Rayner's speech

The Government is looking to create new mayoral authorities, with a single directly elected mayor covering large geographies and with powers over transport infrastructure, health improvement and blue light services.

Reacting to the announcements, Adrian Ramsay, MP for the Waveney Valley constituency, said the decision was 'straight out of an authoritarian playbook' and called for the elections to take place.

He added: "How can the Government claim an electoral mandate for these major changes if those most impacted see their elections cancelled?

"We want decisions closest to where they have the greatest impact with significant devolution of powers and funding from Westminster.

"That is the way to keep the vital connection between the politicians making decisions and those affected by them and avoid further alienation from the political process. The imposition of huge, remote councils against the will of local people would fly in the face of local democracy."