The Labour mayoral candidate for the Hampshire & the Solent CCA has called for elections to be brought forward to 2027.

The mayoral election for Hampshire & the Solent CCA was originally set to take place at in May 2026 before being delayed by two years. Labour mayoral candidate, Lorna Fielker, has now called for the vote to be brought forward to 2027.

Posting on LinkedIn, Fielker said: “The combined authority is already being established and devolution is moving ahead. The question is simple: why should residents have to wait another year to have a direct say in who leads it?”

The Hampshire & the Solent CCA was established in June consisting of the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton councils.

In December 2025, the Ministry for Housing, Communities & Local Government, then under Steve Reed, delayed of mayoral elections in Greater Essex, Hampshire & Solent, Sussex & Brighton and Norfolk & Suffolk to 2028.

Cllr Fielker noted that originally the vote had been delayed to align with local government reorganisation, which is now being reviewed with shadow elections not expected to take place next year.

She argued that in light of the LGR pause, the “rationale has now changed” around the devolution and LGR alignment.

She continued: “A 2027 election would give the mayor a clear democratic mandate while allowing us to get on with delivering the powers and investment that devolution brings, improving transport, skills, housing and economic opportunities across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.”

In her speech to the full council, Cllr Fielker said: “I know there is a cross party call for this across the regions and that the council leaders on the board of the combined authority have written to the minister for this to be considered.”

Speaking to LGC, she said that four of the five members of the combined authority board had signed a letter to central government requesting it bring forward the date of the mayoral election.

According to Cllr Fielker, alongside herself, the Conservative, Lib Dem, and independent members of the board had consensus, while she was unsure of the decision from the Reform member.

Last week Southampton Labour MP, Darren Paffey called for the mayoral election to be brought to 2027, saying: “Now that local government reorganisation has been put on ice, we should still press on with electing a mayor, and bring that forward from 2028 to 2027.

“The sooner we have these elections, the sooner the elected mayor can hit the ground running and start to receive the funding that this government has promised to unlock for the new authority.

He added: “And as we already have local elections scheduled for May next year, we can still hold mayoral and council elections at the same time and save taxpayers’ money.”