Donna Jones, who currently serves as the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, said the postponement was “purely political” and accused Labour of “once again putting party over people”.
The government announced a last-minute decision on December 4 to delay mayoral elections scheduled for May 2026, pushing them back to May 2028 in four areas of England, including Hampshire and the Solent.
The move has drawn strong criticism from leaders of upper-tier authorities in Hampshire, as well as from all five cross-party candidates running for the new mayoral role.
Ms Jones has launched a petition, at defenddemocracy.uk, calling on the government to overturn the decision and hold the vote next year as planned.
In a statement, she urged residents to “come together, make their voice heard, and demand Labour give back voters’ democratic right”.
Ms Jones said: “This petition gives a voice to those Labour is trying to silence.
“That is why I am calling on people across the country to sign this petition and personally hold Labour to account.
“They can’t silence the will of the people. They can’t kill democracy in England that easily. Join me in sending a message to the heart of government and sign this petition.”
Ms Jones further claimed the delay was an attempt by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to “save his own skin”.
She said: “The decision to delay the election was a purely political one. It lays bare that Labour once again is putting party over people.
“In an attempt to save his own skin, Keir Starmer is creating chaos for councils and sacrificing billions of pounds of investment for Hampshire.”
On November 8, a motion against the delay was tabled in Parliament.
It calls on the government to proceed with the scheduled 2026 mayoral elections and to confirm that all other elections due that year will go ahead as planned.
So far, eight MPs have signed the motion, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.
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