Councils across Hampshire have formally been asked for their views on postponing next year’s local elections.

Local government minister Alison McGovern MP has written to the leaders of 63 councils across the country.

The local authorities in question are those with elections scheduled in May 2026 where proposals for local government reorganisation (LGR) have been submitted but decisions on mergers are yet to be made.

This includes Hampshire County Council, East Hampshire District Council, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, Gosport Borough Council, Hart District Council, Havant Borough Council, Isle of Wight Council, Portsmouth City Council, Rushmoor Borough Council, and Winchester City Council.

All-out elections for Hampshire County Council and Isle of Wight Council due to take place this year were already pushed back 12 months by the government – and now the prospect of a further deferment has been tabled.

The current LGR timeline sees elections to new councils earmarked for May 2027, at which point they would operate in a shadow capacity before going live in April 2028.

Ms McGovern’s letter, which was sent on December 18, said some councils in England had expressed concerns about their capacity to deliver a “smooth and safe transition” to new councils through LGR alongside running “resource-intensive elections” to councils who may be shortly abolished.

It continued: “We have also received representations from councils concerned about the cost to taxpayers of holding elections to councils that are proposed to shortly be abolished.

“Previous governments have postponed local elections in areas contemplating and undergoing local government reorganisation to allow councils to focus their time and energy on the process.

“We have now received requests from multiple councils to postpone their local elections in May 2026.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service previously reported that Hampshire County Council leader Cllr Nick Adams-King said he had not and would not ask for a postponement.

The minister’s letter said: “The Secretary of State recognises that capacity will vary between councils and that is why he has reached the position that, in his view, councils are in the best position to judge the impact of potential postponements on your area and in the spirit of devolution and trusting local leaders, this Government will listen to you.”

Councils have until January 15 to set out their views on a postponement.

Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Steve Reed MP has said that should a council say there is no reason for postponement, the government will listen, the letter added.

Speaking in the House of Commons, shadow minister and Conservative MP for Hamble Valley Paul Holmes said: “Voters will now potentially be denied the right to elect their own representatives, and not for the first time under this Labour Government.

“This is the second year in a row that Ministers have scrambled to postpone elections.

“Now, while many people gather around their screens to watch movies like ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’, we are sitting here discussing how Labour is trying to steal the elections.

“There is no mandate for the government’s botched reorganisation plan, and they have behaved as the sole actor, forcing local council leaders to reorganise, with little regard for local people and their democratic rights.”

Earlier this month, the government announced it was pushing back the first election for the new mayor of the Hampshire and the Solent combined authority by two years to 2028.

It is understood councils were not consulted on this move.