Devon County Council has welcomed a government U-turn on plans to postpone local elections.

Today’s decision marks a significant reversal of the government’s earlier proposal to cancel 30 elections in areas undergoing local government reorganisation – a decision Devon County Council had strongly challenged.

Devon County Council held a special meeting at which councillors from all political persuasions condemned the cancellation as undemocratic and dangerous.

At that meeting, Councillor Julian Brazil, leader of Devon County Council, criticised the proposal as a “blatant and undemocratic attempt to retain power for longer,” emphasising that elections are a fundamental part of a healthy democracy.

The county council played a leading role nationally in scrutinising the original proposal, with its public stance highlighting potential risks to democratic accountability across Exeter, where a third of seats are due to be contested.

Councillors argued that cancelling elections was unnecessary, would undermine public confidence and would create further uncertainty at a time when major structural reforms were already in progress.

Councillor Julian Brazil, leader of Devon County Council, said: “We are pleased the government has listened and reversed its decision. You should not mess with democracy. The people of Devon have a right to decide who represents them. We took a clear, principled stance. Today’s decision is a victory for democracy. I am proud to be part of a council which opposed the cancellation unanimously.”

The council has confirmed it will continue engaging constructively with government departments on reorganisation matters but will maintain its firm position that any administrative reform must not come at the expense of voters’ democratic rights.