Delay to Elections for New Mayor
The Government has decided to delay the planned elections for a new Mayor for Hampshire to May 2028.
Published: 8 December 2025
News from Hampshire County Council:
“You may have seen in the news earlier this week, reports that Government has decided to delay the planned elections for new Mayors in four parts of England, including in the Hampshire and Solent area.
The mayoral election, as part of our overall devolution journey, was originally scheduled for May 2026 but this is now set to move to 2028.
It’s a decision made solely by the Government; none of the Upper Tier Local Authorities in our area (Hampshire County Council, Southampton and Portsmouth City Councils, and Isle of Wight Council) requested this postponement. The rationale Ministers have given is to allow the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) process to be completed first, before Mayors take office.
LGR and devolution are of course two different things; LGR is about creating new unitary councils to replace the 15 local authorities currently in place across Hampshire, Southampton, Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight, while devolution is to do with drawing down from Westminster more powers and funding to regional areas to support local skills, the economy, and growth opportunities.
Our commitment to devolution remains as strong as ever
While the postponement of Mayoral elections is disappointing, not least for those candidates preparing to stand for election, we continue with our devolution ambition to secure funding and powers from Government for the benefit of the Hampshire and the Solent area. We are now working through the implications of the announcements, but we are still expecting that we will have the opportunity to form a Combined Authority for Hampshire and the Solent area next year, albeit without a Mayor.
The work we have undertaken so far in partnership with Southampton, Portsmouth and Isle of Wight local authorities, and many other stakeholders across our area has laid a strong foundation for greater local decision-making, and increased investment. Devolution is the goal for us all – to unlock our area’s full potential for now, and for future generations, and it must be delivered next year.
What happens next
In the absence of an elected Mayor, we will be putting forward the suggestion that the Leaders of the councils that make up our anticipated Combined County Authority represent our region on the Council of Nations and Regions until a new Mayor is elected – which would ensure we keep devolution for our region firmly on Government’s agenda and the voice of our communities heard at the ‘national table’. Our economy contributes as much to the UK as Wales, and our population is comparable to Northern Ireland. We deserve and must have that influence and representation at the national level as soon as possible.
Hampshire County Council’s elections
Despite this set-back to our devolution journey, it hasn’t changed the fact that residents in Hampshire deserve the opportunity to elect their County Councillors as planned.
Our County Council elections ensure strong local representation for our 1.4 million residents across Hampshire, and voting is still expected to take place on 7 May 2026, to elect 78 county councillors to represent communities within 76 electoral divisions as we continue to deliver essential, high-performing services totalling over £3 billion a year for the people of Hampshire.
Kind regards,
Councillor Nick Adams-King
Leader, Hampshire County Council”