Islanders can now have their say on Government plans for devolution and the creation of a new Hampshire and Solent mayoral authority, as a consultation opens for comments.
Whitehall will gather views on a bid to create a Mayoral Combined County Authority which stems from the controversial English Devolution White Paper, a document the Government describes as ‘plans to move power out of Westminster and back to local communities’.
Following the White Paper’s release in December 2024, local authority leaders from the Isle of Wight Council, Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council and Hampshire County Council wrote to the government to signal their interest in taking forward the plans at pace.
The bid was accepted earlier this month, leaving the Isle of Wight’s future uncertain, as previously reported by Island Echo.
The situation has split opinion but Full Council will get the final say later this year.
Isle of Wight East MP Joe Robertson (Conservative) is a staunch critic of the plans and has opposing views to Isle of Wight West MP, Richard Quigley.
He said previously:
“The very existence of the Isle of Wight Council is now under threat. This is no longer just about a shared mayor with Hampshire but whether we merge our own council with part of the mainland.
Article continues below this advertisement “The Deputy Prime Minister (Angela Rayner) was very clear that local elections are only being cancelled in places where the local council may cease to exist after the negotiations.”
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said:
“Combined County Authorities are organisations made up of a group of councils who come together over larger areas that people recognise and work in.
“They allow councils to work together in a structured way and take decisions over a wider area footprint, with powers and responsibilities being held by that Combined County Authority.
“Combined County Authorities do not replace the councils in your area – and services such as social care, libraries and education that are provided by the council continue to be provided by the council.
“A Combined County Authority can be led by a directly elected mayor. The government is supportive of places having mayors because they have a mandate to take big decisions affecting more people, they have convening power to tackle shared problems, and they are accountable to the local electorate for the decisions they take.”
The consultation lasts until 13th April and can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/hampshire-and-the-solent-devolution/hampshire-and-the-solent-devolution-consultation#establishing-a-mayoral-combined-county-authority-across-hampshire-portsmouth-isle-of-wight-and-southampton.
Devolution will be good for the island,
better services and cheaper Council tax
Lol
Don’t waste your time. Deal done and and dusted, the people have been stitched up.
I think this is great news for the island. Trust in our elected officials and I’m sure we will all he happier and financially better off. I see a veritable utopia coming our way…….maybe.
What benefits do us Islanders get under the current
Clueless useless Numpty’s
One of the most expensive Council taxes in the country.
The most expensive green waste charges in the country.
£2 nightly charge to park our vehicles, even Khan’s London don’t
Stoop that low.
And 50p to use public toilets.
I will vote devolution all day long, can’t be worse than this lot
we have running the show!
Since when have the council or any political institution ever taken any notice of what the general public think. This is just another excuse to increase the civil service headcount at the expence of the taxpayers. When was the last time politics ever done anything for the people. Expect excessive council tax increases to pay for it.
I disagree with this, Hampshire doesn’t understand the problems of ‘separation by sea’ How would a Mayor on the mainland prioritize the Island alongside the larger. population areas of Portsmouth and Southampton etc.