Council leaders across Hampshire have made clear they have no plans to ask for next year’s local elections to be postponed.

The Labour government has been accused of “running scared” of the electorate, with one civic chief labelling the situation an “absolute democratic disgrace”.

Local government minister Alison McGovern wrote to 63 local authority chiefs in England this week asking for their views on deferring May’s polls for a year.

Ms McGovern said the offer had been made due to concerns it would be difficult to manage ongoing work on the major restructure of councils, known as local government reorganisation (LGR), alongside preparing for and holding elections.

Across Hampshire, 11 councils are scheduled to have elections on May 7, 2026.

Of the nine that have responded to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, all have said they do not plan to ask for a postponement.

Cllr Alex Winning, Labour leader of Southampton City Council, said: “I can confirm that I have not asked for, and do not intend to ask for, any postponement of next May’s elections.

“I will, of course, be responding to the letter from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, but 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.

“It is also worth noting that, unlike some other areas, Southampton has not previously had any local elections cancelled.”

In her letter to council leaders, Ms McGovern said that should a council say there is no reason for postponement, the government will listen.

Southampton Conservative group leader Cllr Peter Baillie said his party was totally against cancelling elections.

He said he has asked for a full council meeting to be scheduled so the matter can be discussed in public before the Labour administration makes its decision on what feedback to give to government.

Cllr Richard Blackman, Southampton Liberal Democrat group leader, said Cllr Winning needed to take a “firm and principled position” to pledge that he would not ask for a postponement.

Cllr Blackman said: “It’s alarming that the government wants to postpone elections.

“Southampton’s last set of local elections were back in 2024 and there have been many national and local political developments since then.

“There is no good reason for the citizens of Southampton to be denied their democratic right.

“It would be hugely damaging to people’s trust in the political system for the ruling Labour administration to now take away people’s right to vote.”

Polls for Hampshire County Council and Isle of Wight Council had already been pushed back 12 months, having previously been scheduled to take place this year before they were cancelled by the government.

Hampshire County Council leader Nick Adams-King, Conservative, said: “I have been clear that county elections are vital for local democracy and accountability.

“They ensure strong local representation for our 1.4 million residents across Hampshire in how we use over £3 billion of public funds to serve our local communities each year.

“The government have set the timeline for local government reorganisation, it is they who need to decide whether their plans can be delivered to that schedule.

“I have not, and will not, ask for an election postponement.

“We are working towards our elections taking place, as planned, in Hampshire on May 7, 2026.”

Liberal Democrat leader of Winchester City Council Cllr Martin Tod said the situation was “such a mess”.

Cllr Tod said: “Two weeks after the mayoral elections were put back by two years, the Labour government is now asking councils if we want to delay county, district and unitary elections as well.

“In practice, this means they will be cancelled.

“County elections have already been delayed by one year and if they don’t go ahead in 2026, I don’t see how they ever will.

“County councillors would end up serving seven-year terms without facing the voters: an absolute democratic disgrace.

“I and my Lib-Dem colleagues oppose any cancellation or delay to elections anywhere in Hampshire and the Solent – and I certainly won’t be asking the government to cancel or delay elections in the Winchester City Council area. I want them to go ahead.

“Regular elections are one of the most important ways that the public can hold councils and councillors to account.

“If people don’t like what we’re doing, they can vote us out – and quite right too: that’s democracy.

“Winchester City Council has only ever suspended elections in the event of war or pandemic – and I see no reason to change this now.”

Eastleigh Borough Council’s Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Keith House said: “Only corrupt dictators cancel elections.

“They must go ahead. This year’s should not have been axed. Next year’s must go ahead.

“Democracy is the only way for voters to hold councils to account.

“Let voters decide, not politicians.”

Cllr Simon Martin, leader of Fareham Borough Council, said the local authority had never engaged with government asking about the delay or cancellation of local elections.

He said the government had imposed LGR on councils at the expense of progressing the mayoral combined authorities.

Cllr Martin, Conservative, said: “The letter from Alison McGovern MP is a simple fact of Labour running scared of the upcoming elections and trying to get elections cancelled and seeking to blame others.

“It is a government that is running scared of the democratic process and I can categorically state that Fareham Borough Council will not be asking for any postponement of the May 2026 elections.”

Cllr Peter Chegwyn, Liberal Democrat leader of Gosport Borough Council, said: “We have no plans to cancel next year’s elections in Gosport.

“Assuming the Hampshire County Council elections go ahead as planned next May I would expect our Gosport Borough Council elections to do so as well.”

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council voted at a meeting on December 18 to tell the government that it did not want to postpone elections.

Independent Forum leader Cllr Paul Harvey said: “We will not cancel democracy.

“We have a duty to ensure that residents have their right to vote in May next year.

“The view around the council chamber was clear and unambiguous.”

Cllr Steve Pitt, Liberal Democrat, said Portsmouth City Council was ready to deliver council elections in May 2026 and it was firmly opposed to any government delay to local democracy being delivered.

Leader Cllr Pitt said: “Portsmouth continues to work closely with neighbouring councils to progress both devolution and LGR at pace, which is not impacting on our preparations for holding elections next year.

“No previous Portsmouth City Council elections have been postponed because of devolution or LGR and we fully expect next year’s voting to go ahead on May 7 as planned.”

Cllr David Neighbour, Liberal Democrat leader of Hart District Council, said: “Local democracy matters, especially at a time of change.

“Our message is straightforward: Hart can do both – prepare for the new governance arrangements and run excellent elections in May 2026.

“Residents deserve continuity, certainty and a say at the ballot box, and we are ready to provide exactly that.”

At the time of publication, the Local Democracy Reporting Service has not received a response from the leaders of Havant and Rushmoor councils.

New Forest, Test Valley and East Hampshire councils have never been due to hold elections in May 2026.

Electoral Commission chief executive Vijay Rangarajan said scheduled elections should only be postponed in exceptional circumstances.

Mr Rangarajan said: “As a matter of principle, we do not think that capacity constraints are a legitimate reason for delaying long-planned elections.

“Extending existing mandates risks affecting the legitimacy of local decision-making and damaging public confidence.”