Local Elections in Devon Amidst Government Reorganisation Plans
Plymouth City Council elections are set to proceed in May 2026, with the 57-seat council currently controlled by Labour holding 39 seats. Of the 19 seats up for election, Labour is defending 10 seats, Conservatives 5, Liberal Democrats 1, Green 1, and Independents 2. The acting leader of Plymouth City Council, Jemima Laing, confirmed that preparations are well advanced and the May 2026 poll will go ahead as planned.
Meanwhile, Exeter City Council, which is Labour-run, may postpone its elections, with 13 of its 39 seats due to be contested. A decision on potential postponement will be made after discussions between the council leader and chief executive. The government has invited councils to apply to postpone their May elections due to ongoing local government reorganisation, with affected councils having until 15 January to request a delay.
Devon County Council is scheduled to hold a special meeting on 9 January to discuss the issue. The Liberal Democrat leader, Julian Brazil, commented that Plymouth had done the right thing by confirming their elections and urged Exeter not to miss a vote. He also linked concerns about the election schedule with funding challenges related to the government’s local government reorganisation.
This reorganisation represents the biggest structural change in local government in 50 years, involving the abolition of all county and district councils with new authorities expected to be established by May 2028. The government’s timing of announcing these changes drew criticism from various parties, underscoring the tension between delivering scheduled local elections and implementing the structural reforms.
Whether elections across councils affected by these changes will be postponed depends on requests made by the 15 January deadline. The situation highlights the balancing act between maintaining democratic processes and accommodating significant local government restructuring.
