Key Points
- The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 allows local authorities with directly elected “legacy mayors,” such as Croydon, to abolish the position through a new referendum.
- Under current legislative frameworks, Labour has banned other borough-level local authorities in England from establishing directly elected mayoralties.
- A referendum to dissolve the mayoral system can be triggered either by a majority vote of full council or via a public petition signed by 5% of the registered local electorate (approximately 14,300 signatures).
- If voters choose to abolish the mayoral model, the borough will revert to the leader and cabinet system of governance previously used prior to 2022.
- Any structural change cannot dissolve the mayoral role mid-term, ensuring the sitting executive serves out their elected mandate regardless of referendum timing.
Croydon (South London News) November 2, 2026 – Croydon residents now possess the legal mechanism to abolish the borough’s directly elected mayoralty following key legislative shifts introduced under the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026. Almost five years after the governance model was adopted, changes passed by central government have opened the door for local electors or the local authority to stage a referendum on removing the executive mayoral structure.
How Has New Legislation Changed Governance Options for Croydon Council?
As reported by political commentator Andrew Pelling of Inside Croydon, the passage of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 in April significantly altered the statutory framework governing local authority structures across England. Under the provisions of this legislation, central government moved to prevent other borough-level local authorities from creating directly elected mayors. This development marks a reversal from the governance mechanisms that allowed Croydon to establish its executive mayoralty in 2021 following a campaign by the DEMOC group.
While Whitehall aimed to achieve administrative savings by restructuring district councils into single-tier authorities—such as in East and West Surrey—the Act created a specific designation for existing structures. Mayors in Croydon and 12 other local council areas, including the London boroughs of Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, and Tower Hamlets, were categorized as “legacy mayors.”
Under the original legal frameworks established when Croydon voters selected the directly elected mayoral model—with 80% of participating electors rejecting the “strong leader” and cabinet system—the decision was subject to a mandatory 10-year moratorium during which no alterations could be enacted. However, statutory amendments implemented this year have removed that decade-long restriction, granting areas designated with legacy mayors the legal power to vote on ending the system.
What Steps Are Required to Trigger a Referendum on the Executive Mayoralty?
As outlined by Andrew Pelling of Inside Croydon, dissolving a mayoral system established via public vote requires confirmation through a subsequent referendum. Two distinct legal avenues exist to bring such a vote to the public in Croydon:
Resolution of Full Council
The first mechanism relies on an internal legislative process within the local authority. A motion must be formally introduced during a meeting of the full council and secure a majority vote from elected members to mandate the holding of a borough-wide referendum.
Public Petition Thresholds
The second route replicates the mechanism utilized by campaigners in 2021. Residents can organize a public petition demanding a referendum to remove the office of mayor. To meet statutory thresholds, the petition must collect valid signatures from at least 5% of the registered local electorate. In Croydon, meeting this requirement currently demands upwards of 14,300 verified signatures.
Should a referendum proceed and voters opt to abolish the office, the executive mayoralty cannot be dissolved mid-term. The sitting mayor would complete their ongoing term of office before the governance structure transitions. Furthermore, national legislation stipulates that any abolished mayoral system must be replaced specifically by the leader and cabinet model of local governance, as central administration policy excludes the return to committee-based management of municipal services.
Background
The governance debate in Croydon originates from the October 2021 referendum, which was organized following a campaign led by the local group DEMOC (Democracy for Croydon). The campaign collected the required signatures to force a vote on altering how the council was administered, moving away from the leader and cabinet model that had operated for decades.
In that referendum, electors voted by a wide margin—80% to 20%—to replace the leader and cabinet setup with a directly elected mayor possessing executive decision-making powers. The first election under this system took place in May 2022, resulting in the establishment of the executive mayoralty. At the time of adoption, local government legislation mandated a 10-year freeze on further governance changes, intending to provide structural stability. The enactment of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 prematurely ended this statutory freeze, permitting council areas with mayoral setups to reconsider their administrative arrangements.
Prediction: How This Development Could Impact Croydon Residents and Local Stakeholders
The potential introduction of a governance referendum in Croydon presents several administrative and operational implications for key groups within the borough:
- Local Registered Voters: Electors gain the authority to decide whether municipal executive authority remains centralized within a single elected official or reverts to a cabinet-based model where council leaders are chosen by elected ward councillors.
- Croydon Borough Councillors and Political Parties: Council members could experience shifts in political leverage. A return to the leader and cabinet structure would restore policy-making and budgetary voting power to elected representatives across council committees, rather than concentrating executive veto powers within the mayoral office.
- Municipal Administration and Public Services: If a referendum is triggered and passes, council officers will need to manage a multi-year transitional roadmap. Because mid-term dissolution is prohibited, administrative staff would prepare for structural realignment at the conclusion of the current mayoral term, ensuring compliance with statutory cabinet governance models.
