UK Reform

London – The Labour government has provoked a furious political backlash after it was revealed that six major mayoral elections planned for 2026 will be postponed by two years. The decision has drawn immediate and fierce condemnation from both Reform UK's Nigel Farage and the Liberal Democrats. Voters across a swath of southern England, including Essex, Hampshire, Sussex, Brighton, Norfolk, and Suffolk, were set to elect new regional mayors in 2026 as part of the government's flagship devolution agenda. However, it emerged last night that these inaugural polls will now be pushed back to 2028. Government ministers are preparing to officially blame the delay on the complexities of ongoing local council reorganisations required to establish the new combined authorities. To underscore their continued commitment to the devolution project, ministers will announce a substantial long-term funding package, pledging £200 million every year for the next three decades to empower the n...