Mayoral election scheduled for May 2026 after Cheshire & Warrington fast tracked for Devolution

A Mayoral election is set to take place in May 2026 after Cheshire & Warrington was today selected as one of six areas to join the Government’s Devolution Priority Programme, paving the way for greater local decision-making and investment.

As part of an ambitious new framework to move power out of Westminster and back into local communities, Cheshire & Warrington will see a directly elected Mayor in 2026, with new powers to drive growth, improve transport, and tackle regional inequalities.

The news has been welcomed by the leaders of the region’s three councils: Cllr Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West & Chester Council; Cllr Hans Mundry, Leader of Warrington Borough Council; and the Leader and Deputy Leader of Cheshire East Council, Cllr Nick Mannion and Cllr Michael Gorman, who said: “Today’s announcement is good news for our residents, communities and businesses.
“Cheshire and Warrington being part of the priority programme shows that government is confident in Cheshire and Warrington’s ability to seize the opportunities that a devolution agreement could bring. It puts us at the front of the queue for significant power and funding and we want to seize this opportunity.
“Devolution would allow us to make more decisions here in Cheshire and Warrington, rather than decisions about our region and its almost 1 million residents being made in London.”
This significant announcement delivers on the Government’s manifesto commitment to shift decision-making closer to the people it affects, ensuring local leaders have the tools to shape the future of their communities.
England remains one of the most centralised countries in the developed world, with local government accounting for only 20% of total spending, compared to around 40% in Germany and Belgium.
The Government has also committed to supporting local residents and leaders to shape how these new structures will work, ensuring that the devolution process is designed with the needs and priorities of the people at its heart.
With the Devolution Priority Programme now underway, the Government will be working with local councils, businesses, and community leaders to shape the future governance structure and ensure Cheshire & Warrington has the powers and funding it needs to thrive.

Welcoming the news, Sarah Hall, MP for Warrington South said: “For too long, decision-making has been concentrated in Westminster, leaving our communities without the funding and powers they need.
“This devolution deal is a huge step forward, giving local leaders in Cheshire & Warrington the ability to make the big decisions that will shape our future.
“From investing in transport to tackling regional inequalities, this is a moment for real change – and I will fight to ensure that Warrington South gets the full benefits of Devolution.
“This is about putting power back where it belongs, in the hands of local people. Devolution will allow us to shape our own future, make decisions that work for our region, and unlock new opportunities for Warrington and beyond. I look forward to working with local leaders and residents to make this a success.”

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner welcomed the move, stating: “The truth is that for all the promises of levelling up, when the rubber hits the road, central government’s first instinct is all too often to hoard power and hold our economy back. Too many decisions affecting too many people are made by too few.
“We promised to achieve a devolution revolution by overseeing the greatest transfer of power from Westminster in a generation, and today’s announcement will help raise living standards, improve public services and build the homes we so desperately need.
“By taking a common-sense approach to reorganisation, boosted by our reforms to give mayors a suite of vital new powers, we will make sure areas can truly deliver on our Plan for Change.”

Meanwhile, Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive, Local Government information Unit, said: “Today’s announcement will get a mixed reception within the sector. Those areas that have been selected for the Devolution Priority Programme will be pleased, others may feel rather bruised.
Councils were given 16 working days to put their applications together for the Devolution Priority Programme. Countless hours were spent by council staff and elected members who worked incredibly hard over the Christmas period to meet this deadline.
Today, we found out that less than half have been successful. It is essential that we understand more about the decision making process around this as there will undoubtedly be some places that feel they have been marched up the hill and then marched down again having spent considerable amounts of time and political capital getting to this point.
For those areas that are going forward there remain significant political, financial and logistical obstacles to overcome. While a route to devolution remains open to them they will have to work hard to maintain momentum.
The Government has been keen to stress that devolution is about empowering local areas. Right now, it doesn’t feel that way. So far the process has been about central government setting out the rules of the game and picking winners. This is an irony we will need to resolve.”