Borough and District Council Leaders Oppose Delaying County Council Elections

Published on: 8 Jan, 2025
Updated on: 8 Jan, 2025

By Martin Giles

The leaders of Surrey’s 11 borough and district councils will oppose any move by Surrey County Council to postpone the county council elections scheduled to take place on May 1.

The leader of Surrey County Council, Tim Oliver (Con, Weybridge), is proposing to request postponement of the elections and ask for Surrey to be one of the first areas to reorganise into unitary authorities in line with proposals contained in the English Devolution White Paper.

The borough and district council leaders met yesterday (January 7) with the SCC leader and made it known that they disagreed with his proposal to write to the Secretary of State, Jim McMahon MP, on Friday (January 10), requesting postponement of the elections and would make their opposition known if the letter if submitted.

The council leaders also expressed their concerns around the pace of change proposed in the Government’s planned reorganisation of local government under the English Devolution White Paper.

Cllr Oliver, the county council’s Conservative leader, wants to apply for Surrey to be in the first wave of the reorganisation.

The 11 Surrey boroughs and districts. Five have no majority party (grey), four are Lib Dems (orange), one is Conservative (blue) and one Residents group (turquoise).

Yesterday (January 7) a meeting of the Surrey Leaders Group, comprising leaders of all 11 Surrey borough & district councils, together with the SCC leader, was held to discuss the English Devolution White Paper and what this would mean for the residents of Surrey.

Cllr Hannah Dalton

In a statement, the chair of the group, Cllr Hannah Dalton (Residents’ Association, Stoneleigh, Epsom & Ewell), said: “All the leaders of the Surrey District & Borough Councils expressed their concerns around the pace of change being imposed by central government and that such widespread and significant change needs wider consultation with the residents, stakeholders, and businesses across the county.

“In addition there was concern that the change, as proposed, will decrease local representation for residents of Surrey.

“There was acknowledgement from all the leaders that central government is determined to introduce sweeping changes to local government through their plans for devolution and local government reform which will see the district and county councils merged into new unitary councils.”

This morning Cllr Dalton told The Dragon that the group’s view was unanimous, including the Conservative Reigate & Banstead Borough Council leader.

She said: The Government is saying that they want upper and lower tiers to work together, and they’re saying that that’s really important to them. So I think what we will do [if SCC requests postponement] is we will write to Secretary of State and make it clear that whilst we’re supportive and appreciate the need to work together, we won’t give our support if they’re going to lay secondary legislation here in Surrey, and delay county elections.

“I think the general feeling is that this county council has been in place now for three and a half years. They don’t have the mandate to do this, and especially when the Labour Government doesn’t have the mandate either. Because although devolution was within the Labour manifesto, the abolition of borough and district councils wasn’t and they still need to have legislation put around that.”