Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been issued a stark warning from within his own party that he risks "squandering trust" in Labour over controversial plans to postpone several key mayoral elections. The criticism comes from former local government minister Jim McMahon, who was sacked in Sir Keir's September reshuffle.
Backlash Over Postponed Elections
The government's decision to push back four elections for new mayoralties by two years to May 2028 has ignited a fierce political row. The affected areas are Greater Essex, Hampshire and Solent, Norfolk and Suffolk, and Sussex and Brighton.
Ministers initially attempted to announce the move via a written statement but were compelled to face an urgent question in the House of Commons. Rival parties have lined up to condemn the delay, with Labour accused of "cancelling democracy" to avoid potential electoral setbacks.
Internal and External Condemnation
Jim McMahon, the Labour MP for Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton, who previously organised the elections, delivered a blunt assessment to the government. "We need to be better than this," he told MPs, highlighting that local leaders across parties had worked in good faith and met all statutory requirements for a May 2026 polling date.
He emphasised the broken "moral and legal obligation", warning that "trust is hard won, but it's easily squandered." Candidates from Labour and other parties have already been selected for the contests.
The opposition was even more scathing. Reform UK's deputy leader, Richard Tice, described the decision as "cowardly" and directly compared Sir Keir to a dictator. "Generally it's dictators that cancel elections," he stated, claiming 7.5 million people would be denied a vote. Party leader Nigel Farage dismissed the government's reasoning as a "dog’s dinner."
Government Defence and Wider Concerns
Responding in the Commons, Local Government Minister Miatta Fahnbulleh denied the delay was politically motivated, insisting Labour is "as up for elections as anyone else." She argued the postponement until 2028 was necessary to allow the areas "to conclude their local government reorganisation."
She also announced a new £200 million annual funding pot, to be split between six English regions for the next 30 years. The delayed elections will also use a more proportional electoral system, which analysts suggest could disadvantage Reform UK.
The controversy is set against a challenging political backdrop for Labour. A recent poll by More in Common put Reform UK on 30 per cent, nine points ahead of both Labour and the Conservatives, who were tied on 21 per cent.
Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit, expressed frustration at the sudden change, stating it was "not fair to keep chopping and changing" timelines after councils had "moved mountains" to meet previous deadlines.
