Government fast-tracks Portsmouth for devolution and mayoral election

Portsmouth and the wider Hampshire region are set to gain greater local control after being fast-tracked in the Government’s Devolution Priority Programme (DPP), a fast-track initiative to establish strategic authorities.

Strategic authorities cover regions of around 1.5 million people, led by elected mayors with devolved powers to drive economic growth, investment, and oversee planning and transport.

In January, Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council, Hampshire County Council, and Isle of Wight Council were invited to join the DPP, accelerating the region’s path to devolution. A mayoral election is expected by May next year.

Cllr Steve Pitt, leader of Portsmouth City Council, said: “I am pleased Hampshire and The Solent has been selected as part of the Devolution Priority Programme and will ensure our area can benefit sooner from additional powers and investment for jobs and skills, housing and transport at a sub-regional level.

“I have always said I favoured a deal for just the Solent area without an elected mayor, but government ruled this out as an option so we now focus on what we can do to make a positive impact for our area, and one benefit a mayor would bring is a seat for our region at the Government’s new Council of Nations and Regions.

“We’re expecting government will fund the necessary changes without any impact on local taxpayers and once it has set out the next steps we’ll work with our partners to move things forward and get the best possible deal for our residents.”

Other areas being fast-tracked include Cumbria, Cheshire and Warrington, Norfolk and Suffolk, Greater Essex, and Sussex and Brighton.

The Government has also announced plans for a public consultation on strategic authority proposals to gather residents' feedback. However, it has made clear that this is not a referendum on the plans.

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner criticised central government for historically concentrating power, stating that despite promises of levelling up, its "first instinct is all too often to hoard power and hold our economy back." She argued that "too many decisions affecting too many people are made by too few."

In addition to devolution, the government has unveiled plans for local government reorganisation, which would see all district councils abolished and absorbed into larger unitary authorities.

Portsmouth is expected to discuss merging with lower-tier authorities such as Fareham, Gosport, Havant, and potentially others, to form a larger authority serving around 500,000 people, as suggested by the government.

It is unclear whether the planned "all-out election" for 2026, where all 42 seats are contested, will proceed. According to a social media post by Councillor George Madgwick, the all-out election has been suspended in favour of a third-out election, with only 14 seats up for grabs instead of the usual 42.