One of Labour’s key manifesto pledges was to “widen and deepen” devolution, with the December white paper setting out a clearer roadmap for what that could entail.

This month’s announcement of the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) added further meat to the bone, with six new areas fast-tracked to receive greater local governance powers, with mayoral elections scheduled for May 2026.

Just this week, the government launched consultations in Cumbria, Greater Essex, Cheshire and Warrington, Norfolk and Suffolk, Sussex and Brighton, and Hampshire and the Solent — areas which will see new metro mayors and combined authorities taking on devolved powers in May next year. The move also means that two-tier local government will be replaced by unitary authorities.

Although the far-reaching changes have the potential to deliver a boom for the built environment by streamlining decision making, the plans aren’t without their fair share of controversy among voters.

Ministers have postponed elections in eight council areas participating in the DPP, in addition to Surrey. The government has defended this decision, and although there is a precedent—Cumbria and North Yorkshire in 2021—this move will affect nearly six million people.

With so much churn, our regional experts share their take on what lies ahead.

The local lowdown — getting the lay of the land

East of England — Alexander Cowley writes:

Councils in Norfolk, Suffolk and Greater Essex were successful applicants for the Devolution Priority Programme (DPP). Hertfordshire was notably absent from the selection process due to its constituent district councils not being able to agree on a way forward on the make-up of a future unitary authority. Councils joining the DPP have done so with a litany of outstanding questions to resolve. For example, Essex will need to consider how Thurrock’s debt (around £1.5 billion) will be spread across the County.

Elsewhere, Uttlesford councillors are calling on county council representatives to resign and seek re-election through a by-election in May to circumvent the postponement of the elections.

Due to the cancellations in Essex, it’s possible local campaigners — Reform candidates included — will be directed to neighbouring counties such as Hertfordshire which is holding elections as normal. Hertfordshire’s Conservative majority could come under threat for the first time since 1999, fueled by a latent threat of a Reform surge in local elections.

Despite this confusion, some councils are certainly ahead of the curve. Cambridgeshire has been operating as a combined authority with Peterborough for several years.

Discussions so far have largely focused on who will join the fast track, however, consider the impact the aggressive timescale of all DPP authorities to host Mayoral elections by May 2026 will have. It’ll be a steep hill to climb, even for compliant local authorities.

South East — George Kup writes:

Devolution was portrayed across the South East as a chance to start afresh with a clean slate, to deliver better services and have better representation for residents. 

With county councils across the region choosing to vote in favour of devolution and a chance to get onto the priority scheme, it almost seemed inevitable that all would be included on the list and their elections would therefore be delayed. The majority of county councils had their wish granted by the government and will see elections delayed by a year, to allow for an election to elect a Mayor in each given county in 2026. 

However, the big loser in all of this has been Kent; the one county that has not been included in the Devolution Priority Scheme. Arguably, the county that should have been included, as it had cross party support from the Labour-led Medway Council and the Conservative-led Kent County Council. This means elections will now take place in May.

These elections are going to be a very hard fight for Labour and the Conservatives, as Kent will be seen as a target by Reform. This could see several Reform UK councillors elected onto a council that won’t be around for too long, but one that will have to negotiate how the future of Kent looks like when it is finally devolved. 

Whilst those district, city and borough councils across the South East that are in areas that will have the benefits of devolution it has meant that there is now a feeling of ‘the end is near’. This has led to councils starting to shift their thinking in budget spending and also whether or not to take forward local plans: why waste time focusing on it when in a year or so, it won’t even be their problem anymore?

Devolution is an exciting and encouraging step forward to ensure better services for residents, but it will only work if it is done in a timely and professional manner, not rushed through as a tick-box exercise.

South West — Freddie Palmer writes:

It’s on! The county councillors voted in across the South West on 1 May will be involved in some big decisions in the coming years – we’re voting in the turkeys who’ll be asked to decide which type of Christmas they prefer. 

The shape of new unitary and combined authorities will be heavily influenced by those politicians who occupy county halls. So will the approach to regional spatial planning, something that’s a key part of the plan to get near 1.5 million homes. 

Elections for a new mayor of the West of England will also be significant in how that region plans for development. Two attempts have failed, so who will be at the helm for the third attempt will be key for its success. 

Further East, Hampshire elections have also been postponed, creating space to prioritise reorganisation and devolution. The impact in freeing up campaigners to head elsewhere in the country could impact results – particularly in places like Wiltshire where political change is a real possibility. 

Midlands and North of England— Jack Brentnall writes:

After plenty of speculation about various authorities entering the devolution fast track scheme, in the end, it turns out it will be business as usual across much of the Midlands and North of England. All the usual county and unitary elections will go ahead as planned.

This will no doubt result in some vastly different political landscapes from May. That potential is only heightened by the fact election delays elsewhere in the country will likely see party activists flocking northwards in an attempt to either shore up shaky majorities or tip the apple cart.

In that sense, it isn’t so much devolution that will change the Midlands and North in 2025, but the lack of it that will.

Making sense of it all…

If you’re trying to navigate the shifting landscape of devolution and local government reform, we’re here to help. Whether you’re assessing the impact on your business, projects or clients, get in touch via: hello@meeting-place.uk