Hampshire councils rule out election postponements

None of the leaders of the 12 councils in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight due to hold elections in May are applying for them to be postponed.

The Minister for Local Government, Alison McGovern, wrote to 63 authorities last month and said polls could be delayed where there are "capacity concerns".

The offer was made because Hampshire is one of those involved in local government reorganisation.

That will eventually see fewer unitary authorities serve the two million people in the county.

Hampshire County Council's elections, which had been due to take place in May 2025, were postponed to enable work on a devolution deal.

If the 2026 vote was set back, some councillors would be in post for seven years.

The Conservative leader Nick Adams-King previously told the BBC: "If the government think we can't deliver on the change they want to implement within the timescale, they need to be honest about it, but that doesn't mean we can't have elections and it doesn't mean the government should make me ask for it."

Councillor Alex Winning, Labour leader of Southampton City Council, said he would not be asking for a postponement either.

"It's important to stress that decisions on whether elections are postponed rest entirely with the government. This is not something that councils or council leaders decide upon and nor should it be," he said.

Elections are due to take place on 7 May for Hampshire County Council, eight districts and boroughs (Rushmoor, Hart, Basingstoke, Winchester, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport and Havant) as well as three unitary authorities (Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight).

Outside of Southampton and Portsmouth, the organisation of all elections falls to districts and borough councils in Hampshire