Why it matters: The postponement comes after extensive preparation from councils and mayoral candidates for a fast-track devolution process that the government imposed on Suffolk and Norfolk, and insisted would move "at pace," leaving the county in limbo.
The details: In February, the government added four areas to its Devolution Priority Programme: Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk, Hampshire and the Solent, and Sussex and Brighton. Ministers promised new mayoral positions would be created "at pace", with elections scheduled for May 2026.
Those elections will now be delayed until 2028. The government argues that more time is needed to reorganise local government in these areas, but critics say the decision is political rather than practical.
Suffolk's existing councils are set to be abolished and replaced with a new unitary system, though the number of authorities is yet to be decided. All of Suffolk's councils had spent significant amounts of time and money preparing for the reforms.
Earlier this year, the government postponed the council elections in Suffolk and Norfolk to facilitate devolution and local government reorganisation. Those council elections are now scheduled for May 2026.
Neil MacDonald, leader of Ipswich Borough Council, has confirmed that planned council elections would still go ahead: "The delay in electing the first Mayor for the region does not impact the planned Ipswich Borough Council elections in May 2026."
What they're saying: MacDonald supported the government's decision: "The government's decision to postpone the introduction of a Mayor for Norfolk and Suffolk makes sense in the context of Local Government Reorganisation. Mayors and Mayoral Strategic Authorities do best for their areas when supported by strong unitary councils."
Ipswich MP Jack Abbott acknowledged the frustration felt locally but said the rationale for the delay made sense.
"Devolution and Local Government Organisation is about how we deliver public services for the coming decades, so it is important that we get this enormous change right now, rather than trying to work it all out later," he said.
"In saying that, I do understand and share the frustration felt by many here at home in Suffolk. A huge amount of work has gone into this transition locally in anticipation of these changes. The status quo isn't working, and I, like many other people, am hungry for change."
Mayoral candidate anger: Green candidate Caroline Topping said, "This whole process of creating mayors was forced onto the country, with the Government saying it would help communities — now, at the last minute, they suddenly throw all that out of the window."
She added: "They're running scared of the opinion polls. They've seen the rise in support for the Green Party and Reform, and they are afraid they will lose control. It's a joke. A shambles and a sorry mess. It highlights why we need real devolution where decisions about local issues are made locally, rather than being taken by panicked politicians in Whitehall."
Kevin Keable, the Liberal Democrat candidate, wrote on social media: "The Government's appalling decision to delay Norfolk and Suffolk's first ever mayoral election is a clear sign they're running scared of Reform and the Liberal Democrats. Our region has huge potential, and we shouldn't be left waiting while others move ahead."
John Howard, who defected to Reform from the Conservatives earlier this year and who has been touted as a potential mayoral candidate, said: "It was a tight schedule, and it's normal for governments to move slower than they would like. However, many will view this as a political decision rather than a practical one, and accuse the government of running scared."
Suffolk County Council frustration: Cllr Matthew Hicks, Suffolk County Council’s leader, said: “Councillors and staff across Suffolk and Norfolk have been working hard for months to create the new mayoral authority in time for its inaugural elections in May 2026. Let’s not forget that this pace has been necessary to meet the government’s very short timetable. It’s therefore disappointing that this work could have been phased over a longer period, especially as we’re working on local government reorganisation and continuing to deliver services to residents at the same time.
“Alongside our colleagues in Norfolk, we will have to consider the consequences of this delay.”
Mark Ling, a long-term campaigner for government reform, said the decision came as no surprise: "As a campaigner in local government over 20 years, the bulk standard decision and action for all local government is to kick the can down the road. The problem with that is that the can becomes increasingly expensive, and the majority of tax-payers' hard earned money is lost on inflation and indecision."
Chamber disappointment: John Dugmore, chief executive of Suffolk Chamber, said the announcement was a disappointment for local businesses.
"Suffolk Chamber is disappointed that political uncertainty seems to be being added to the already heady mix of economic challenges currently facing Suffolk businesses," he said.
"We are especially concerned both at the lost opportunities over the next two years at least for the prospective Mayor to add weight to our longstanding infrastructure asks, and also the future of some skills and public sector-funded business services that support place-based economic growth."
He added: "The fact that Suffolk and Norfolk will not be able to bid for Government funding earmarked only for areas that have a Mayor reinforces the sense that we are at the back of the political queue."
National opposition: Opposition parties are calling for the elections to go ahead as planned, with shadow local government secretary Sir James Cleverly accusing Labour of "subverting democracy".
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said it is a "scandal" that elections are being delayed, adding the government has had "plenty of time to do this" and people "need their democracy".
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice called the move a "deliberate, dictatorial cancelling of democracy", while Liberal Democrat local government spokesperson Zoe Franklin said "democracy delayed is democracy denied".
In an urgent Commons question on the mayoral election delays, Conservative MP and shadow local government minister David Simmonds said the decision had caused "a huge waste of public money for elections we are all ready for".
The bottom line: After delaying this year's local elections to facilitate local government reform, Suffolk residents now face a longer wait to have their say on who will lead the new combined mayoral authority, with business leaders warning the delay means missing out on vital funding opportunities and infrastructure improvements, and our county being left in limbo for an extra two years.
