A Surrey MP has criticised the Prime Minister for refusing to guarantee that the county’s elections will take place next May – leaving voters uncertain whether they will get their say at the ballot box.

Speaking during Prime Minister’s Questions, Will Forster, the Lib-Dem MP for Woking, asked for a “cast-iron guarantee” that residents in his constituency and across the country would not lose their democratic right to vote.

It follows reports in The Times that local elections could be postponed for a second consecutive year.

While Surrey County Council’s leader, Cllr Tim Oliver, has said he has not sought a delay, other Conservative figures have reportedly done so elsewhere.

In response, Sir Keir Starmer declined to rule out a delay, saying only that his government had inherited “a difficult local government position”.

The prime minister added: “In Surrey, we expect the elections to be in the new unitary councils, and we’ll be setting out the planned timetable very shortly.”

Mr Forster said: “It’s astonishing that the Prime Minister can’t even guarantee people the right to vote next May.

“People in Woking deserve their say at the ballot box — democracy must never be put on hold.”

He added that the ongoing uncertainty was “deeply worrying” and accused the Government of “ducking accountability.”