Sussex gets the green light for its first directly elected mayor
Devolution plans for Sussex and Brighton took a major leap forward last week, as the government officially confirmed a May 2026 mayoral election and the creation of a Mayoral Combined County Authority (MCCA).
The news has been formally welcomed by upper-tier council leaders across East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton & Hove, and marks the formal start of a transition towards new structures of power over transport, housing, infrastructure, jobs, and some public services.
📜 The change forms part of the government’s Devolution Priority Programme, with Sussex one of six regions chosen to pilot a deeper shift away from Whitehall control.
Read more from West Sussex County Council:
Devolution and mayoral election plans move forward
🔧 A reminder of what the MCCA means
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The MCCA will sit above a newly calibrated set of unitary councils, working strategically across the whole of Sussex.
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Day-to-day services (like schools, bin collections and planning applications) will continue to be delivered by local authorities.
- Strategic planning and investment decisions around transport, industrial strategy, adult skills, public health, infrastructure will be led by the mayor's office, supported by senior leaders of the local authorities.
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A new English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, now in Parliament, underpins the new mayoral powers and funding arrangements.
Read more about the Bill from Hansard
🏛️ Big reorganisation
In Sussex and Brighton, this is not just about a mayor.
The approval also kicks off the next phase: a complete reorganisation of local government in Sussex. Up to 12 districts and boroughs could be replaced with new unitary authorities, joining up responsibilities under larger, more strategic bodies. Brighton & Hove is already a unitary authority, but may get bigger — others may soon follow.
đź“… Councils must now submit proposals on boundaries and structures to government by September 2025.
Public consultation has begun on the reorganisation in West Sussex, and you can have your say via a new Shaping West Sussex website. East Sussex updates are here. Brighton & Hove is expected to open consultation in the coming weeks.
Leaders welcome “historic moment”
“This is our moment,” said Brighton & Hove City Council Leader Bella Sankey
The Argus – Sussex mayoral election confirmed for May 2026
Cllr Paul Marshall (West Sussex) described the agreement as a “major step forward”, while Cllr Keith Glazier (East Sussex) said a Sussex-wide approach “on jobs, transport, housing and the environment” would benefit the whole region.
BBC News: Mayoral vote 2026 to go ahead but concerns raised
âť— But public scepticism remains
📉 A government consultation revealed just 23% of Sussex and Brighton respondents agreed the new mayoral authority would deliver real benefits. 66% disagreed.
Full public consultation figures:
LGC: Public in devo priority areas unconvinced about benefits
Concerns included:
The government has pledged ongoing public engagement, but confidence must be built in a region with patchy understanding (and even patchier enthusiasm).
What happens next?
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A statutory instrument will go through Parliament this autumn to legally establish the new MCCA
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Councils must formally consent to the powers and financial arrangements
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The first Sussex Mayor will be elected in May 2026
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Local government reorganisation plans are in development and due in September
🧠Sussex And The City will continue to run events, podcasts and analysis over the coming months to unpack what all of this actually means - for businesses, networks, community organisation and residents. And we will start publishing new pieces of research and analysis, interactive maps and crowdsourced case studies and policy ideas that a regional authority in Sussex and Brighton might consider.
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