Devon County Council Votes to Postpone Elections

Oxfordshire, Leicestershire, and Devon County Councils are seeking to postpone local elections scheduled for May 2025 in response to government plans for reorganization of local authorities into larger unitary councils. Oxfordshire's leader expressed that while the council reluctantly supports the delay to facilitate devolution, it risks undermining public confidence if not managed transparently. In Leicestershire, opposition councillors criticized the postponement as a tactic to avoid potential electoral losses, while the county council argues that such a move would streamline services and governance. Meanwhile, Devon's decision to delay has faced significant backlash, with Liberal Democrat MPs denouncing it as an attempt to deny democracy and assert that the political landscape has changed since the last elections. The government has indicated a willingness to allow these postponements if they aid in the transition to new governance structures, but local resistance remains strong. Each council's proposals are pending government approval, with new elections potentially pushed to 2026.