Anger is growing as councillors get ready to vote on whether to postpone Norfolk County Council's elections, ahead of a major shake-up which could see councils abolished.
District council leaders have said it is not right that county councillors should be deciding whether to ask Labour ministers to put the votes on ice, amid the government's drive for reorganisation of local authorities.
Kay Mason Billig, leader of Conservative-controlled County Hall, has called an extraordinary meeting for today (Thursday, January 9) where all 84 councillors will vote on whether they want to seek the delay to May's elections.
But district council leaders at Breckland, Broadland, North Norfolk and West Norfolk fear the vote is being rushed - and Norfolk's residents will suffer in the long run.
The reorganisation, which would devolve Whitehall powers to Norfolk, could see all eight Norfolk councils abolished and redrawn with new unitary authorities - plus a mayor for Norfolk and Suffolk.
County council officers recommend requesting the election postponement so the focus can be on all councils working together to develop proposals for how local government could be redrawn.
But Sam Chapman-Allen, Conservative leader of Breckland Council, said while he supported the principles of devolution he did not back "the arbitrary creation of large super-distant unitary councils".
He said: "I am gravely concerned we risk sleepwalking into a situation where we have started the countdown to annihilation, without any real discussion or consideration about the implications for our communities, and no time being afforded to do things properly.
"I do not understand the case for suspending our local elections, given this is being promoted to areas which have clear and agreed plans for reorganisation. There is no such plan for Norfolk.
"I would urge my colleagues in the county council, charged with making this decision alone, to think carefully.
"Devolution should be first and foremost, structure and restructure should follow separately and only with proper consideration."
Alistair Beales, West Norfolk Council leader, said he supported Norfolk and Suffolk pursuing devolution.
But he said: "I do not support any request to postpone county council elections due in May 2025.
"Government guidance states that a request to delay elections should unlock devolution in areas where it would not otherwise be possible.
"Given the support for devolution as formally expressed by all local authorities in Norfolk and Suffolk, any election delay is plainly unnecessary, and worse could prove divisive."
Sue Holland, Liberal Democrat leader of Broadland District Council, said she supported the principles of devolution, but repeated the plea for county councillor to think carefully about the consequences of the vote to cancel the elections.
She said: "One size does not fit all. We need to ensure that the right evidence is gathered to determine the best approach and model for reorganisation moving forward.
"Any change needs to keep local government genuinely local, reflecting the needs of residents and businesses, whilst strengthening democratic accountability and representation.
"I believe a super unitary council model would result in the diminishing of local representation and the loss of localised services."
"The under-secretary of state for housing and local government, Baroness Taylor has made it clear that a request to join the devolution priority programme is an entirely separate matter from requesting a delay to elections.
"Government guidance states that a request to delay elections should unlock devolution in areas where it would not otherwise be possible.
"Given the support for devolution as expressed by North Norfolk District Council and all the other local authorities in Norfolk and Suffolk, there is therefore no mandatory requirement for any delay to these important county elections – and many will feel it is undemocratic to extend the time in office of current councillors beyond the normal four-year term, which was the clear basis on which the electorate cast their votes for them at the previous election."
Reform UK previously criticised the potential election postponement, with chairmen from five Norfolk branches of the party saying cancellation, which could mean no elections until 2027, would trigger a "democracy deficit".
Adrian Ramsay, Green MP for Waveney Valley, said it was "deeply undemocratic" to cancel elections.
He said: "These are major changes – the biggest for half a century. They should not be rushed without proper consideration of all the options."
The four-strong group of Green Norfolk county councillors said they disagreed with the cancellation of the elections.
Dr Catherine Rowett, who leads the Green group at County Hall, said, "Whilst supporting the principle of devolution, if it is real devolution, we fundamentally disagree with the cancellation of elections.
"It seems sinister that, under the guise of empowering us locally, we are actually losing our local elections, and local people aren’t even offered a vote on whether to cancel the voting."
Lord Fuller, former leader of South Norfolk Council, now a Conservative peer, questioned the legality of cancelling the elections.
He said: "There is a case for Norfolk to have a debate on a different form of local government on a different form of local government, but there seems to be an unseemly rush to cancel elections.
"I believe, based on evidence I've obtained from the House of Lords library, that the government has erred in the law by considering the county council to be the principal council, when it is the districts which provide the majority of services local people rely on.
"Rural Britain is being suckered into having a quick process which will leave them the poor relations."
Lord Fuller said in other areas where elections had been suspended, a section of a 2007 Act had been relied upon - which required consultation with all authorities affected.
But the government said that was not the legislation it would use to cancel elections.
A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: "We will only consider postponing elections for areas where the council concerned have requested it and where it helps an area to deliver reorganisation and devolution to the most ambitious timeline."
Suffolk County Council is holding a similar meeting to request postponement.
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