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| Andrew Pope speaking for a Referendum on BBC South Today |
UPDATE (29/10/24): Is a Solent Devolution Deal back from the dead?
Below is an article from eight years ago. Former Leader of Hampshire County Council Roy Perry said that a stake needs to be driven into the heart of the Solent Devolution Deal.
It appeared to be dead. Yet we hear that like a vampire, it it rising out of the coffin.
The Council leaders of Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight councils are having conversations behind closed doors about a new devolution deal in the Solent area.
Our position has not changed. Andrew Pope says:
"We demand a Referendum for Southampton residents, before any change to how we are governed.
I've written to the leaders of all three councils, asking for their positions, including on a Referendum and on an Elected Mayor.
So far, I've heard back from only one of them."
Stay tuned!
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Do you want Southampton to join with Portsmouth? Yesterday's Daily Echo reported an amusing mistake on a French airport's view of Southampton and Portsmouth.
This is what Labour and Tory politicians want to happen. And they're doing it without involving the people who live in the two cities that are separated by twenty-odd miles and some would say, other things.
But so-called “English Devolution” has largely been conducted without the say of English citizens.
Locally here on the South Coast, the vast majority of people haven't even heard of the "Solent Devolution Deal".
Yet self-appointed "leaders" of Southampton City Council and Portsmouth City Council have carried it on, behind the scenes.
And a sham consultation is being conducted.
Thankfully, people on the Isle of Wight have fought back - forcing the Council to agree to a referendum on any deal.
But in Southampton and Portsmouth, the "leaders" haven't agreed to a referendum - yet.
Independents in Southampton, including Councillor Andrew Pope, have been pushing for one ever since devolution was mentioned.
And now Portsmouth campaigner Blair Breton has created two petitions to enable citizens to have their say, and not allow devolution to be about politicians stitching it up for other politicians. Already, over 200 people have signed up.
One petition is aimed at local councils and the other petition is aimed at Government.
This is a cross-party campaign, and a campaign for Independents too, because it is so important.
PLEASE SIGN BOTH PETITIONS!
The Government petition is located at: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/165665
The Council petition is located at: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/solent-devolution-the-people-not-politicians-must-decide
You can also respond to the “consultations” here. Sadly their deadline is 18th September 2016, as it was decided to hold most of the "consultation" over the summer holidays - how odd? Some would suggest they don't really want to listen to you!