The Conservative Party Chairman says the delay to mayoral election for Suffolk and Norfolk will cause chaos
He came to Suffolk to show his support for candidate Tim Passmore, the Suffolk PCC
The Chairman of the Conservative Party has criticised the Government’s decision to delay the creation of new regional mayors for Suffolk and Norfolk, warning it risks undermining local democracy and creating uncertainty for councils, residents and businesses.
Kevin Hollinrake, MP for Thirsk and Malton and Conservative Party Chairman, spoke to us during a visit to Suffolk to support Conservative mayoral candidate Tim Passmore.
The Government has announced that the election of four new regional mayors, originally due to take place in 2026, will be postponed until May 2028. The Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government says the delay is necessary to allow local government reorganisation (LGR) to be fully implemented and to ensure new mayors are able to “hit the ground running” and "devolution is strongest when it is built on strong foundations, therefore moving forward we will ensure strong unitary structures are in place before areas take on mayoral devolution."
"It really does undermine democracy and people’s faith in democracy.”
Mr Hollinrake said the decision was “disgraceful”, adding: “It really does undermine democracy and people’s faith in democracy.”
He said the postponement would inevitably have an impact on how local authorities operate while future governance arrangements remain unclear. “Nobody knows what the hell is going on”. He said. “It does create inertia; people don’t know what’s happening. Officers may be reapplying for their jobs, councillors may not be there anymore, and decisions don’t get made or are not made as effectively.”
The Conservative Party Chairman said he had experienced similar disruption during local government reorganisation in North Yorkshire, warning that prolonged uncertainty could damage local services and public confidence.
“People are being left in limbo,” he said. “We’ve never seen elections postponed for years and years.”
Despite the delay, Mr Hollinrake said the party would continue campaigning. “We’re not going to take our foot off the gas,” he said.
"Put what we’re doing on the map"
Tim Passmore, Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner and the Conservative candidate for mayor, welcomed the party chairman’s visit, saying it was important both politically and practically.
He said: “For the mayoral candidacy, I’m very pleased that the chairman has come up here to lend his support. But more importantly, he’s actually up here to talk to some farmers from both counties to understand their frustrations and their difficulties.”
Mr Passmore said farming was central to the regional economy and warned that government policy was placing family farms under severe pressure. “We’re the breadbasket of the UK and we need to support our farmers, not penalise them,” he said, adding that changes to inheritance tax risked “destroying family farms”.
He said that if elected mayor, he would use the role to lobby senior ministers directly. “You have an opportunity to lobby the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister and put what we’re doing right on the map,” he said.
A Government spokesperson said it is "backing farmers with the largest nature-friendly budget in history with over ÂŁ2.7 billion a year to grow their businesses, put more British food on our plates, and restore nature."
They added that reforms to Agricultural and Business Property Relief aim to "safeguard public services while keeping inheritance tax fair, with three quarters of estates paying nothing, and the rest paying half the usual rate, spread over 10 years interest-free."
Long-term planning
Mr Passmore argued that uncertainty caused by changes in government and delayed elections was damaging confidence across multiple sectors. “What this country desperately needs is longer-term planning,” he said. “All this confusion and kerfuffle is actually very, very damaging.”
He said his approach would focus on planning over 10 to 15 years, including issues such as water resources, digital connectivity and support for rural businesses. “These things are not done overnight,” he said.
Mr Passmore also raised concerns about the scale of nationally significant infrastructure projects in Suffolk and Norfolk, including energy schemes and major construction sites, arguing that the region was shouldering a disproportionate burden.
“Why should people here have their lives disturbed for the greater benefit of the rest of the country without getting anything in return?” he asked, adding that if elected mayor he would seek a fairer share of national resources.
Despite the challenges, Mr Passmore said residents should not lose confidence. “We are inherently optimistic,” he said. “We contribute, and we want a fair share of national resources.”
The Government has said the delay to the mayoral elections is necessary to ensure local government reorganisation is fully in place before new mayors take office, allowing for adequate preparation and capacity-building ahead of 2028.