The decision to put Kent forward was taken by KCC Cabinet Members at a meeting this afternoon (January 09) It followed an extraordinary meeting of the Full Council, where the proposal was considered by all KCC Members.
The Government’s Devolution Priority Programme will see some areas in the country progressing through the devolution process on an accelerated timescale, with Mayoral elections taking place in the county as early as May 2026 if Kent and Medway are accepted onto the DPP.
In the Devolution White Paper, published on 16 December, the Government set out plans for Mayoral Strategic Authorities (MSAs), and announced that submissions to the first step in the process must be received by tomorrow, Friday 10 January.
At this morning’s extraordinary meeting at County Hall, Leader Roger Gough said: “This is the most momentous decision for this Council in many, many years. And for a decision of this kind, it is right that County Council considers it in full and that all Members are engaged.
“The question before us is whether or not we, along with Medway Council, apply to join the Devolution Priority Programme, resulting in the creation of a Mayoral Combined Authority and a Mayoral election in May 2026. Everything else flows from that choice.
“I believe we should. That is because devolution is coming. The only question is how far we shape it, or let others shape it for us.
“There are great opportunities for us, and for the residents we represent, in devolution.”
“It is, or soon will be, a reality across the country. Others are moving fast. And there are great opportunities for us, and for the residents we represent, in devolution. We need to seize them. So the sooner we engage with this, the more scope we have to shape it. The sooner we engage, the sooner we can give the clarity that we owe to our residents, our staff and our organisations.
“The fundamental decision before us – whether or not to apply to the Priority Programme – is as big a choice as any we have confronted in our service here. In approaching that choice, I say to all Members: Recognise that we cannot go on as we are. Lift our eyes to the opportunities of something different and better. And resolve that we, in this county, seize the moment and shape that future.“
Members also discussed that joining the Priority Programme could mean that this May’s Local Elections will be postponed. In his letter of 16 December, Jim McMahon MP, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, stated that to deliver both devolution and reorganisation according to the exacting schedules of the Devolution Priority Programme he was minded to lay secondary legislation to postpone local elections from May 2025 to May 2026.
Addressing this, Roger Gough said: “This is not something that we initiated. It is not something that we will decide. It is not something that I relish. That decision will be made by ministers, but they require a request from councils for this to be considered.
“I recognise that this goes against the grain for all of us whose role here rests on our democratic electoral mandates. We must be clear that this is not an indefinite extension of County Councillors’ terms, running for up to three years beyond our mandate. That would be neither acceptable nor feasible, and there are different options under which we stick to a much more tightly limited deferral.
“It is clear that there is a very tight link indeed between participation in the DPP and the decision that the minister is minded to take. It is also hard, if not impossible to see how supporting a government-led consultation that would run very close to, or quite probably into the pre-election period, developing reorganisation proposals and negotiating with government can be carried out according to what the minister calls ‘the most ambitious time frame’ in a pre-election and election period.
“So submitting that request is a logical corollary of joining the DPP, and if we make the application to join then it is my intention to submit that request to government, which ministers will then decide.”
During this morning’s extraordinary meeting Members voted on five amendments to the recommendations.
One amendment was passed by Full Council, with the agreement and support of the Leader of the Council. Proposed by Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Antony Hook, and seconded Mike Sole, the amendment was to add a recommendation that the Council would expect the process to be as transparent as possible.
County Council was asked to:
- Endorse the ongoing joint work between KCC, Medway Council, and District & Borough Council Leaders to respond to the English Devolution White Paper.
- Endorse the proposed decision by the Leader of the Council (Cabinet) to submit a request to the Government, jointly with Medway Council, for Kent & Medway to be included in the Devolution Priority Programme.
- Note that acceptance on to the Devolution Priority Programme will commit Kent and Medway to elections to a new Mayoral Strategic Authority (MSA) in May 2026 and implementation of local government reorganisation by either April 2027 or April 2028.
- Note that acceptance onto the Devolution Priority Programme may lead to the County Council elections scheduled for May 2025 being postponed, subject to ministerial decision.
- Expect there to be as much transparency as possible in the process.
The amended substantive motion was passed by 39 to 19, with one Member abstaining.
Following the Cabinet decision today, an expression of interest will be submitted to the Government tomorrow (10 January) asking that Kent and Medway be considered as a priority area for Devolution.
KCC understands that the Government will notify The Leaders of KCC and Medway Council by the end of January as to whether they have been selected for its Devolution Priority Programme.
Further information
To watch the Full Council meeting visit:
Agenda for County Council on Thursday, 9th January, 2025, 10.00 am
To watch the Cabinet meeting visit:
