Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which (a) existing and (b) new combined mayoral elections will take place in May (i) 2026 and (ii) 2027.

The government announced on 17 July that we are taking forward all six places on the Devolution Priority Programme and establishing mayoral strategic authorities via secondary legislation. Subject to the consent of local councils, legislation will be brought before Parliament in order to establish institutions early in 2026. Inaugural Mayoral elections in Hampshire and the Solent, Greater Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk and Sussex and Brighton would be held in May 2026.

Following requests by the local authority leaders of Cheshire & Warrington and Cumbria, we’ve agreed the inaugural mayoral elections for those two areas will take place in May 2027.

No existing mayoral strategic authorities have elections in 2026 or 2027.