Donna Jones: English devolution is vital to national success – that’s why I’m standing for Mayor of Hampshire

Donna Jones is the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight,and has declared her intention to stand as the Conservative Candidate as Mayor for Hampshire and the Solent.

Devolution is part of a wide programme of constitutional reform designed to “move us away from a centralised Britain to a more democratic, decentralised, plural state.”

Those were the words of a gleeful Labour prime minister with a thumping majority and a mandate for what he perceived as radical change.

Yes, those were the words of Tony Blair 25 years ago, not Sir Keir Starmer.

After securing devolution for Wales and Scotland, Blair embarked upon the first round of English devolution. After creating the Greater London Assembly and the Mayor of London, Blair was embarrassed in his own backyard, with supposedly compliant rock-solid Labour voters in the Northeast resoundingly rejecting devolution in a referendum.

Labour then entirely forgot and shelved any plans for further English devolution. In the years that followed, we’ve only seen a gradual edging towards any further moves.

But undoubtedly, it was the Conservative Government with its success in introducing Metro Mayors in Manchester, West Midlands, and Tees Valley that has turbocharged devolution up the political agenda.

And it hasn’t come soon enough. The Institute for Government published data in 2023 that showed only Turkey has a more centralised system of government than England among OECD countries. There is now cross-party consensus for England to address the democratic deficiency that has plagued investment outside of London for far too long.

This democratic deficiency is more than just an abstract issue – it has real consequences for regional growth and governance. Yet England’s metro mayors have demonstrated their potential to tackle these challenges head-on.

Directly elected leaders such as Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester and Andy Street in the West Midlands have become household names as city-regional champions. Their electoral mandates give them the authority to speak on behalf of their areas, not least in negotiations with central government or attracting international investors.

For example, Ben Houchen has driven regeneration projects in Tees Valley, while Steve Rotheram has spearheaded digital infrastructure initiatives like Liverpool’s 5G broadband network.

Hampshire exemplifies why regional leadership matters. As post-Brexit Britain’s gateway to the world, it hosts critical industries such as Southampton’s commercial port (the UK’s number one hub for deep-sea trade) and Portsmouth, headquarters of the Royal Navy and a cornerstone of national defence strategy. Meanwhile, North Hampshire thrives as a centre for advanced technology and manufacturing.

For these industries to grow and compete globally, they need someone to fly the flag internationally, attract investment, and secure vital funding from central government. That person needs to be a mayor who is directly accountable to residents with a clear mandate.

The recent “Devolution Revolution”, outlined in the English Devolution White Paper, promises to expand powers for metro mayors across England. This framework aims to equip mayors with tools to drive economic growth, improve transport systems, boost housebuilding efforts, and enhance skills training. Hampshire has been named as nine areas to be fast-tracked for a new regional mayor, with elections in May 2026.

By integrating funding settlements across housing, regeneration, transport, and employment support, these mayors will have unprecedented control over their regions’ futures.

However, challenges remain, not least Labour’s top-down mandating of local Government reorganisation. Mayors in England need to be able to work alongside effective local Government structures to deliver on their potential.

But the overall case for devolution is clear: regions like Hampshire need empowered leaders who can champion their interests locally and globally while addressing long-standing inequities in investment and governance across England.

My journey in public service began as the youngest magistrate in the country, continued as Leader of Portsmouth City Council, and now has led me to being Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire. I have seen firsthand how local leadership can make a difference when empowered with the right tools and support.

A directly elected mayor for Hampshire would ensure that our region’s voice is heard loud and clear – both at Westminster and beyond – and help tackle England’s democratic deficit once and for all.

I believe I can be the champion Hampshire needs as its first regional Mayor and I will be making that case around the county as I put myself forward to be the Conservative Candidate.

We no doubt have electoral challenges ahead as the party begins to rebuild, but as Street and Houchen have exemplified, Conservative Mayors have track records of delivery. A case I’ll be making to the residents of Hampshire in the months ahead.