Voters in Surrey won’t get the opportunity to cast their ballots this May after the government agreed to the county council’s request to postpone the 2025 elections by a year.

Surrey wrote to the government in January to take up its offer to delay elections if it gave officers the time to focus on merging its boroughs and districts.

On Wednesday (February 5) the Government has confirmed it will set down legislation to postpone the poll and will mean current councillors will carry on after their normal four-year terms are over.

The argument put forward by those in favour of postponing the elections are that it frees officer time and keeps experienced councillors in position while the transformation takes place.

They also argue that spending millions on an election only to then dissolve the entire council within a year or two would be a waste of time and money.

Opponents say it robs people of their democratic right and leaves in place dozens of councillors without mandates.

Surrey will now be part of the first wave of authorities to take part in the government’s devolution plan that aims to simplify and streamline local government.

Details of how a new super council in Surrey will look are still to be fleshed out but could include either a single mega authority with an elected mayor, or two to three smaller regions.

Tim Oliver, leader of Surrey County Council, said: “Now we’ve received confirmation that Surrey is in the first wave of local government reorganisation and devolution priority programme, we will develop a business case for reorganisation and submit a draft to government in March.

“Arrangements will also be made to postpone local elections in May so the detailed work for reorganisation and devolution can take place. The resource and time that would have been spent on elections for a soon-to-be-abolished council can now be directed to working on the best possible outcome of reorganisation for Surrey.”

He added: “Of course, any proposal will now need to be worked up in collaboration with local government and other partners across the county so that together we can really grasp this opportunity to deliver something meaningful for the future of Surrey. We’ll keep residents and staff updated every step of the way.”

Surrey’s six Lib-Dem MPs - Al Pinkerton (Surrey Heath), Chris Coghlan (Dorking & Horley), Helen Maguire (Epsom & Ewell), Monica Harding (Esher & Walton), Will Forster (Woking) and Zöe Franklin (Guildford) - issued a statement criticising the election postponement.

“Today, Conservative-led Surrey Council have denied local residents their voice by getting our upcoming local elections delayed,” the statement said.

“Since 2021, Surrey’s Liberal Democrats have made continuous gains from the Conservatives. At the most recent General Election, the Liberal Democrats achieved a sweeping result, winning six parliamentary seats.

“It is clear that the Conservatives are running scared and have succeeded in stopping these elections from happening in May, in a desperate attempt to cover up their own abysmal record. Meanwhile, the Labour Government has stood by and done nothing, knowing they can’t win in Surrey.

“Voters are rightly fed up with this Conservative council and years of financial mismanagement. From endless potholes, to cutting local frontline services, to letting down thousands of children with special educational needs and much more, its record speaks for itself.

“Liberal Democrat candidates across Surrey were in a prime position to beat Conservative councillors in May. Labour have now cancelled these elections leaving them to continue running our county into the ground.

“Regardless, The Liberal Democrats will continue to be local champions across Surrey and stand up for what matters to residents.”