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County leaders calls for mayoral election delay

Kaleigh Watterson
BBC political reporter, Cheshire•kaleighnews
BBC/Getty Images The Eastgate Clock in Chester, the golden gates of Warrington and Jodrell Bank in Cheshire EastBBC/Getty Images
A new combined authority is set to cover the three council areas

The three councils in Cheshire are calling for their first mayoral election to take place a year later than originally planned.

Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, and Warrington councils had been added to the government's Devolution Priority Programme earlier this year, with plans to elect the county's first mayor in May 2026.

The area's leaders have now asked the government for this to take place in 2027 instead.

They said the move would give them "more time to put in place the right foundations". The BBC has contacted the Department for Local Government for a response.

Cheshire and Warrington were one of six areas added to the Devolution Priority Programme in February.

A government consultation took place earlier this year and it was proposed a combined authority would come into force in January 2026.

There had been concerns from the Conservative groups on both Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester Councils about the timings of devolution.

They said they had concerns about the councils' "operational capacity" and "financial sustainability" to have a devolution programme ready for elections in 2026 and said a 12-month delay would offer a "more realistic timescale".

In a statement, the leaders of the three councils said they were "committed" to devolution for Cheshire and Warrington.

"While we have always maintained that we want to release the potential benefits of devolution as early as possible, we have heard what people have said and recognise that by holding the mayoral election in May 2027 – at the same time as a number of local elections taking place across the area – we can reduce costs and potentially increase the number of people who will turn out to vote and have their voice heard.

"We will continue our work in the meantime to progress establishing a Mayoral Combined Authority for Cheshire and Warrington in early 2026, subject to the councils' approval.

"This would still give our area more funding and more powers and be a positive step on our journey to electing a mayor in May 2027."

Left to right: Hans Mundry (leader, Warrington Borough Council), Louise Gittins (leader, Cheshire West and Chester Council), Nick Mannion (leader, Cheshire East Council) and Michael Gorman (deputy leader, Cheshire East Council)
Leaders Hans Mundry, Louise Gittins, Nick Mannion and deputy leader Michael Gorman think a delay might mean more people vote

A move to 2027 would also coincide with some local elections in the county.

Cheshire East Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council are both due to have their next local elections, which would be full council elections, in 2027.

Warrington's next election, also a full council election, is set to be the following year.

Last week, the two councils in Cumbria, which were also added to the Devolution Priority Programme, called for their mayoral elections to be delayed by a year.

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