Plymouth and Exeter join forces in Downing Street power push

Local political leaders across the South West and the South East are accelerating their campaigns for regional devolution, pressing central government for locally controlled funding and elected mayors to close the economic gap with other parts of the country. In Devon, Labour MPs have directly engaged with Downing Street to advocate for a county-level mayor, while councils in Somerset and across the Wessex region are renewing demands for institutional powers following high-level parliamentary backing. At the same time, authorities in Essex have formally advanced their own billion-pound regional proposals.

The push for regional governance comes as local authorities grapple with disparities in regional funding and economic influence. According to Devonlive, Plymouth MPs Luke Pollard and Fred Thomas, alongside Exeter’s Steve Race, travelled to meet with the prime minister to champion the creation of a new Mayor for Devon. The MPs stressed that Devon must progress at the same pace as neighbouring regions in the South West, bringing decisions on transport, housing, and public services closer to local communities. Mr Pollard described the initiative as a potential game changer for investment, while Mr Race noted that Exeter must maintain a seat at the table as a regional economic hub, according to Devonlive. Cornwall’s Liberal Democrat MPs have likewise impressed on the prime minister demands for a bespoke and fair devolution deal for the duchy, as reported by Devonlive.

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Further east, structural devolution steps are moving rapidly. As detailed by Echo News and Yahoo News, Essex County Council's cabinet voted to give formal consent for a Mayoral Strategic Authority covering Greater Essex, a move requiring sign-off from three upper-tier authorities before legislation can be drafted. If approved by the Government, the authority would bring together Essex County Council, Thurrock Council and Southend City Council under one elected mayor, with elections scheduled for May 2028. Supporters argue the deal will unlock investment in skills and transport across a population of nearly two million people without replacing everyday frontline council services.

Meanwhile, the debate over the Wessex region has intensified following exchanges in parliament. According to the BBC and Somerset Council, West Dorset MP Edward Morello raised concerns in parliament about the area being left behind without a directly elected mayor. In response, the prime minister indicated support for moving quickly toward a fully devolved South West of England. Proponents of the Wessex model, which unites Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP), point to independent projections that a regional mayor could unlock tens of billions in economic output and hundreds of millions in annual funding, according to Somerset Council.

However, local political consensus remains fractured. While leaders of the four Wessex unitary authorities issued a joint statement welcoming the prime minister's comments as a landmark moment, several regional MPs voiced strong reservations. As reported by the BBC, Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan questioned the creation of an artificial entity linking disparate rural and urban populations, while Conservative MP Simon Hoare challenged the inclusion of the BCP conurbation and the financial incentives attached to the bid.

Simultaneously, Somerset Council is navigating transitional funding following the abolition of regional enterprise bodies. According to the Somerset County Gazette, the local authority accepted millions in legacy funding from the dissolved Heart of the South West local enterprise partnership. Councillor Mike Rigby noted that the funds will support small businesses and economic development in the interim, though council leader Bill Revans emphasised that regional authorities outside the "waiting room" continue to capture the lion's share of strategic infrastructure investment.

As local authorities await formal legislative drafts and further government responses, the broader debate on decentralisation continues to shape local Politics coverage across the UK.

What happens next depends heavily on upcoming formal governmental responses and the completion of consent procedures. Authorities in Essex must secure final approvals from Southend and Thurrock before the legislative phase begins, while Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, and BCP leaders prepare to work alongside central government officials to turn parliamentary backing into a formal structural agreement.