Elections in Surrey could be delayed by a year after Surrey County Council decided to formally request the Government to postpone the upcoming May elections.

At a Surrey County Council cabinet meeting on Wednesday (January 8), it was agreed that council leader Cllr Tim Oliver would write to ministers asking for a delay until 2026.

The delay, according to the council, would allow for more time to develop proposals for a major reorganisation of local government, following plans outlined by the Government in December.

This move is part of broader efforts to restructure local government in the county, with many believing that the council should be reorganised into one or two unitary authorities, each headed by a mayor, while the 11 borough and district councils would be abolished.

Many councillors, however, as well the leaders of the 11 borough or district councils opposed the delay, arguing it would harm services and impede democracy.

Cllr Paul Follows, leader of the Surrey County Council Lib-Dem Group, said the election postponement request was ill-conceived.

At an extraordinary meeting of the county council on Wednesday, he said: “We understand that local government reform is necessary. We accept that and broadly agree that some unitary council combination would make sense for a variety of reasons.

“But we feel the haste, pace and lack of plan to not just be folly, but a clear threat to the services our residents need, so we do not accept elections must be cancelled.”

Will Forster, the Lib-Dem MP for Woking who is also a county councillor, said all six of his party’s MPs in Surrey, as well as the leaders of all 11 borough councils opposed the delay.

He told the meeting: “The MPs, council leaders and many others know this and think this because they think our residents have the right to hold those in power to account.

“Postponing those elections is a fundamental mistake as it takes that democratic right away. It is very foolish to do so, when there is no certainty on if or how the devolution or reorganisation will happen, let alone when.”

Cllr Oliver's letter urged the Government for more time to negotiate with the leaders of Surrey's district and borough councils to develop proposals for local government reform.

He suggested that new unitary elections could be held in 2026, with a mayoral election to follow in 2027.

Cllr Oliver told the extraordinary meeting that Surrey County Council has no powers to delay the elections, as only the government could take that decision.

He said: “I believe what we now need clarity and certainty for both residents and staff as soon as possible as to what a mayoral strategic authority will look like and we can only do that if we secure a place in the government’s accelerated reorganisation programme.”

He added: "Unitarisation is coming, and what we need to focus on is determining the best structure for Surrey, this is my priority."