Nigel Farage outraged as council overhaul leaves MILLIONS without a vote - 'Collusion to stave off the threat of Reform UK!'

"I've also agreed for the postponement in Surrey, given the urgency of creating sustainable new unitary structures and to unlock devolution for this area.

"We are postponing elections for one year - from May 2025 to May 2026."

Some five million Britons are set to lose their votes this year - sparking outrage from the Reform UK leader.

Farage accused the Labour Government and Tory-run councils of "collusion" - and jabbed: "I thought that only dictators cancelled elections... but what I see today is collusion to stave off the threat of Reform UK on May 1."

At the same time, Reform UK released a video calling on Britons to sign a petition to hold the votes - which again warns that "only dictators cancel elections" and says "Westminster is terrified of Reform UK".

The party's Great Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe branded the decision an "outrage" and an "arrogant scam" after county council elections in Norfolk were called off.

LATEST ON LABOUR'S ELECTION CLAMPDOWN:

• Labour accused of 'running scared' by Reform UK as Angela Rayner eyes up CANCELLING local elections in surging party's target areas
• MAPPED: The 18 councils opting out of local elections in 'Labour collusion' move that could topple Reform UK
• Reform UK demands ‘PEOPLE VOTE’ in push to ‘save’ local elections as Farage sees red after topping poll

Writing on social media, Lowe said: "Their pathetic excuses won't wash. Democracy is inconvenient. Democracy is costly. Democracy is awkward.

"But it matters - and the people must be allowed to vote.

"I will be organising a protest at Great Yarmouth Town Hall in due course. We must show these petty councillors that their desperate efforts to cling on to power will not be tolerated."

In a later social media post, he said: "Cancelling elections, surrendering vital British territory, crashing the economy, assaulting British farmers, betraying Brexit, eye-watering lockdown hypocrisy, and of course forcing brutal levels of immigration on the British people... Starmer should resign!"

Rayner's election postponement comes ahead of her rollout of six new potential "devolution areas" throughout England - which she said will come with "a view to mayoral elections in May 2026".

These areas are Cumbria, Cheshire and Warrington, Greater Essex, Hampshire and Solent, Norfolk and Suffolk, and Sussex and Brighton.

"These places will get a fast-track ticket to drive real change in their area," she said.

"While devolution can sound techie, the outcome is simple - it's a plan for putting more money in people's pockets, it's a plan for quicker, better, cheaper transport designed with local people in mind, a plan for putting politics back in the service of working people."

And hinting at a seventh "devolution area", Rayner said: "Lancashire is already deciding its mayoral devolution options and we will look at their proposals in the autumn in parallel with the priority programme."