Keir Starmer has been warned by his former local government minister that he risks “squandering trust” in Labour after a huge row broke out over proposals to postpone some mayoral elections.
Jim McMahon, who was sacked by Sir Keir in the reshuffle September, hit out at the move to push four elections for new mayoralties in Greater Essex, Hampshire and Solent, Norfolk and Suffolk, and Sussex and Brighton back two years to 2028.
As rival political parties lined up to criticise Labour, he told MPs: “We need to be better than this.”
No 10 was also forced to deny the prime minister was acting like a dictator over the decision.
Labour has been accused of “cancelling democracy” amid claims the move is a bid to see off a threat to Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership. The latest poll by More in Common again has Reform on 30 per cent, nine points ahead of Labour and the Tories, both on 21.
But Labour have said more time is needed to complete local government reorganisation. The delayed elections will now be fought under a more proportional electoral system, which will make it difficult for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK to win.
Ministers had hoped to sneak the decision out with a written statement but were forced to come to the House and answer an urgent question.
Mr McMahon, who is the Labour MP for Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton and was the local government minister who organised the elections, told the government: “I need to be blunt, as I usually am. We need to be better than this.
“Local leaders across the political spectrum worked in good faith. They put aside self interest and differences, and they did everything asked of them to secure a better settlement for the people that they represent.
“They reasonably expected the government to do the same. The postponed elections last year, which allowed these mayoral elections to be agreed, to be consulted on, for the statute test to be met, for funding to be confirmed, all of which was done with just the legislation being laid for the May 26 polling date.”
He noted that Labour and other parties have already selected their candidates.
He warned: “The government had a moral and a legal obligation to honour its side of the bargain. Following a statute process, all involved had a reasonable expectation that these elections would go ahead, and the government knows that trust is hard won, but it’s easily squandered.”
Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice described the decision by Labour ministers as “cowardly.”
”Generally it’s dictators that cancel elections. Some 7.5 million people are now going to be denied the opportunity of voting in mayoral elections,” he said.
“Funny isn’t it, we’ve just announced our mayoral candidates for all of these areas and all of a sudden the Government, terrified of losing to Reform, are cancelling them.”
He added that a two-year delay “is a deliberate dictatorial cancelling of democracy in the United Kingdom and we shouldn’t tolerate it”.
Asked if it was fair to describe the PM as acting like a dictator in cancelling elections, No 10 said “No”.
Speaking in the House, Mr Farage described the reforms as a “dog’s dinner.”
He said: “Clearly there is no reason at all why they can’t go ahead in 2026 although I know the local conservative administration is fiercely opposed to that.”
Shadow communities secretary Sir James Cleverly has described the decision as “a subversion of democracy.”
Responding to calls that the government had postponed elections in certain areas next year amid fears of heavy losses, local government minister Miatta Fahnbulleh told MPs that Labour are “as up for elections as anyone else”.
However, she said that elections for four combined areas will take place in May 2028 so “the areas have the opportunity to conclude their local government reorganisation”.
Ms Fahnbulleh also announced a £200 million annual funding pot to be split between six regions across England. The sum will be paid per year for the next 30 years.
Responding to an urgent question in the House of Commons, she said: “Council elections will go ahead in 2026, that has been our position, that continues to be our position. As a responsible Government, you would expect that if there are extenuating circumstances on the ground in particular councils, we will have that conversation with them. We are as up for elections as anyone else.”
She added: “This is about our commitment to devolution. It is about the creation of strategic authorities and mayors who can unlock the economic potential of their areas and deliver for their communities. That will always be our guiding star. That will always be our lodestar.”
Meanwhile, the chief executive of the Local Government Information Unit said it is “not fair to keep chopping and changing” the timeline for mayoral electionsd.
Jonathan Carr-West said: “It is frustrating that alongside these important steps come such major changes seemingly out of the blue with no preparation or consultation with those who will be directly impacted.
“The government set out a clear and ambitious timetable for devolution that until this week they were insisting was still on track. Councils have moved mountains to meet every single deadline presented to them. Many will be wondering what has changed?
“Today’s ministerial statement still includes too many phrases like ‘minded to’ or ‘as soon as possible’ – the government must set out a clear plan and stick to it.”
