Member

The noble Lord asked about the postponement of mayoral elections. The Government announced on 4 December that they intend to hold the inaugural mayoral elections in the four devolution priority areas undergoing local government reorganisation, including Hampshire and the Solent, in May 2028. There is a strong and clear reason for that: devolution is strongest when it is built on firm foundations, and this extra time will allow these four areas to establish robust institutions ahead of their mayors taking office in 2028. However, we are moving ahead with establishing mayoral strategic authorities in these areas as soon as possible to ensure that strong, mature institutions are in place when the mayors come into office.