The Southern Powerhouse / Solent Devolution conversation continued over the weekend with a statement from Hampshire council and a discussion on the Sunday Politics programme with leader of Southampton City Council.
IW negotiations ongoing
Following Friday’s report that a Solent Devolution announcement could be close, this morning (Monday) Leader of the Isle of Wight council, Jonathan Bacon, has confirmed to OnTheWight,
“As far as the Isle of Wight is concerned, discussions are still ongoing. If any potential basis for agreement is reached it will subject to consultation.”
The Isle of Wight Council have previously stated they would, “continue the negotiations with the government for a devolution deal, but on the basis that there would not be a mayor for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Combined Authority“.
Hampshire not in
Hampshire County Council advised they would not be agreeing to the Solent Devolution deal to split the county into north and south divisions.
On Friday, they advised,
“Hampshire County Council has advised Government that it is not prepared at this stage to progress the proposed Solent Devolution deal and confirm the County Council’s membership in the timescales set by Government.”
Read their full statement.
Solent deal
On Sunday morning the leader of Southampton City Council appeared on BBC’s Sunday Politics programme. Referring to Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget speech on Wednesday this week, Peter Henley asked Simon Letts, “Does it have a proposal for Hampshire?”
He replied,
“I think it probably does.
“I think that there will be a deal, the reason I’m slightly hesitant is because there are still negotiations going on around the some of the details.”
After being pushed by Peter Henley on whether they were in the Budget Book or not, Mr Letts replied,
“We think we’re in. We were told a deadline on Thursday that if we agreed at the point then we would go in what they call the Green Book, so we think we’re in which is where the money goes and how it gets spent. At the moment we think we are in.”
Is the Isle of Wight included?
Peter Henley went on to ask whether it was the original Hampshire and the Isle of Wight deal or the Solent city plan with a mayor for the area.
Mr Letts replied,
“It’s a Solent arrangement, with a directly elected mayor for the whole of the Solent area including Portsmouth and Southampton.”
Letts: “Government shambles”
He went on to say this was no way to run a reorganistion of local government, naming it a ‘government shambles’.
He said,
“They’ve gone round shoehorning people into arrangements.”
He finished by saying,
“On the basis of what we were offered we’ve taken the deal because we think it’s to the financial betterment of this area. I think it’s a good deal and will enable us to build the economy in southern Hampshire for the betterment of the people that live here.”
It would appear at this stage (9am Monday morning) that this does not include the Isle of Wight yet.
The programme can be viewed on the BBC iPlayer (55 mins in) until 12 April.
Image: © Sienna Anderson
