Local MP Alan Mak has condemned the Labour Government's decision to delay mayoral elections for Hampshire and the Solent by two years.
He said the move was 'totally undemocratic' and accused Labour of being afraid to face the electorate at the ballot box.
The region had been selected to be part of a fast track devolution programme and the creation of a new combined authority, plus the election of a mayor to run it, was due to take place in May 2026.
But the Government has said that this mayoralty and others in Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk and Sussex and Brighton will instead now be contested in 2028. It claims that delaying will enable more planning to ensure smoother reorganisation of local government in England.
In Hampshire and the Solent all five main parties had announced their mayoral candidates and campaigning was well underway.
The decision to delay follows local elections in Hampshire already being postponed from this year to 2026.
Mr Mak said: "This decision is totally undemocratic and I firmly oppose it. It's got nothing to do with allowing more time for local government reorganisation and everything to do with Labour using that as an excuse to cynically deny people their right to vote because they fear the result will be bad for them.
"In the meantime a two-year delay means the Hampshire and the Solent region could be missing out on vital investment and strategic leadership."
