Following Debate, SCC Leader Is Writing to Request Postponement of May Elections

Published on: 9 Jan, 2025
Updated on: 9 Jan, 2025

By Chris Caulfield

local democracy reporter

The leader of “doomed” Surrey County Council will write to the Government asking for the May 2025 elections to be postponed and Woking’s debt cancelled as part of devolution measures to merge the county’s councils.

The moves are said to allow the council the time to draft proposals for how the county and its 11 boroughs and districts will be dissolved and reborn as potentially a single authority with a directly elected mayor.

Others would prefer to see the county split in two or three smaller unitary authorities in one of the biggest shake-ups in 50 years.

In December the Government placed councils on short notice over devolution plans, giving those who want to get on board until March to submit interim merger proposals. Those who do not will have their devolution plans dictated to them by Downing Street.

To give councils time to reorganise, the Government also said it would consider passing legislation postponing the May 2025 elections until next year.

On Wednesday, January 8, Surrey County Council confirmed it would pursue the Government’s offer, with conditions.

The move to push back elections however was disputed in the chamber with councillors calling it undemocratic, while the leaders of the 11 boroughs and districts have also called for the May polls to go ahead.

See: Borough and District Council Leaders Oppose Delaying County Council Elections

Cllr Paul Follows (Lib Dem, Milford & Witley), leader of the opposition, told the meeting the boroughs and districts made it very clear local government reform was necessary – but that it could be done alongside the democratic process.

Cllr Paul Follows

He said: “We accept and broadly agree that some unitary council combination would make sense for a variety of reasons but we believe that the pace, the haste, and the lack of plans should not just be folly but a clear threat to services our residents need, and we do not accept that elections must be cancelled.

“The Government aren’t asking us, or making us, cancel elections the deputy prime minister confirmed in an interview [on Wednesday morning] that councils are not being asked this way.”

He added: “The timetable is going to remain as is and the work is going to happen and we can do everything that the leader is proposing to do while holding the scheduled elections.

“The leader has argued that leaping in here brings benefits but nobody has outlined what they are and honestly whatever they are, unless they include defined government interventions on debt and adult social care, nothing is worth taking that leap because then any successor authority will be immediately in serious troubles.”

He would also raise concerns that without clear guidelines and financial support, scenarios were playing fields in Godalming could be sold off to pay debts in Woking could emerge.

The ruling Conservative group, however, dismissed demands to keep the election saying it would not only cost millions – estimated at about £2.48 million – but also elect a “zombie” body that would be dissolved in just a year’s time.

Cllr John O’Reilly

Cllr John O’Reilly (Con, Hersham) said: “This council is doomed. This council will not survive and the 11 boroughs and districts will also not survive.

“So we are talking about a new structure and framework and for those saying the election to go ahead, it is quite clear, the minister’s letter has said that those authorities where elections do go ahead, they have still got to provide submissions by autumn, leaving only a few months.

“So what is going to happen if we have elections?

“It will essentially be a zombie council in the twilight, lurching through its own oblivion maybe only a year or so later when elections will take place for the new authorities.”

Councils have until March to submit interim devolution proposals with final drafts delivered by either May or the autumn.

The council has said it will work with “all stakeholders” over the next eight weeks in drawing up plans, including residents, as well as taking feedback from police, fire and rescue and health services.

The Government states it wants new councils to have a minimum of 500,000 residents, meaning it is most likely Surrey would become either a single mega authority or split in two – with a directly elected mayor.

Some councillors raised a preference to create three bodies. Cllr Tim Oliver did not rule out expanding beyond the Surrey border to create a regional authority but he hoped that all parties could come to an agreement.

He said: “We propose to make it clear that the Government will be asked to deal with the debt, partially at Woking that is publicly known and crystallised, but there are other levels of significant debt across the county.”

He said it was better to get in early to create some leverage over the debt position rather than be handed down a Government diktat.

He continued: “Work will start on Friday – officers are putting together the working groups needed.

“This will be exceptionally time-consuming. Not only will it need collaboration between the boroughs and districts, but this council will need to have an input into the proposals. We may go with more than one proposal, one from this council one from the boroughs and districts.”

The county council leader will now write to the Government setting out that Surrey wishes to be part of the accelerated devolution program and that it would support any new legislation postponing the May 2025 elections until next year.