The Surrey County Council (SCC) elections scheduled for May 2025 have now been postponed until 2026. This follows the confirmation that Surrey is to be part of the first wave of areas looking to take the opportunities presented by the government’s devolution agenda.
The government invited councils across the country to consider being part of its accelerated programme for reform, which aims to simplify local government. The Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution has confirmed to Surrey County Council’s Leader, Tim Oliver, that the government has decided to postpone Surrey’s local elections in May until 2026.
The leader of Surrey County Council, Tim Oliver, said:
Now we’ve received confirmation that Surrey is in the first wave of local government reorganisation, 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.
I can be absolutely clear that, throughout this process, our vital work supporting residents will continue – services will be delivered and we will still be here for those who need us most – until whatever new council is fully established to take on that delivery.
I have always been a firm believer that further devolution from Westminster to local regions and communities would be in the best interest of Surrey residents and businesses.
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.”
On Wednesday 5th February 2025, In the Commons, Angela Rayner (Local Government Secretary) said:
“We have put Surrey within the priority programme, but we do need a reorganisation first, because it would be a single council, so we would have a single council mayoral area, which is not what the devolution agenda is about. The reorganisation is about recognising the challenges that Surrey faces and working with local leaders to deliver services to local areas. At a later date, we can then look at whether we are able to take that forward, but we do recognise the unique situation that Surrey is in, which is why we have put it in the priority programme.”
What is Devolution?
On 16 December 2024, the UK central government published a White Paper regarding its revised plans for devolution, which is the de-centralisation of government power to local or regional authorities.
The proposed changes outlined in the White Paper will significantly affect all councils and communities. The White Paper also proposes the creation of an elected Mayor. This approach means that additional power is given to the local communities, which gives them more control over decision-making and implementation of services.