Andy Burnham told West Dorset's MP he backs a Wessex mayor covering Dorset, BCP, Somerset and Wiltshire. He did not commit to a 2028 election.

The Prime Minister has said he supports an elected mayor for Wessex, the area covering Dorset, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Somerset and Wiltshire. He did not say when.

Edward Morello, the Liberal Democrat MP for West Dorset, asked Andy Burnham at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday 21 October whether he would “commit to a mayor of Wessex by 2028”. The exchange is in Hansard.

Mr Burnham replied: “Yes, I am always happy to create more mayors. I am not joking, yes. I would like to see a fully devolved south-west of England.” He said Cornish MPs had been in Downing Street that week to discuss a devolution deal, and that he had met Devon MPs seeking the same. “I will offer the same to Wessex Members. Let us move quickly to get a fully devolved Wessex and south-west of England.”

What the councils said

The leaders of the four councils issued a joint statement the same afternoon, published by Dorset Council. They are Nick Ireland of Dorset Council, Millie Earl of BCP Council, Bill Revans of Somerset Council and Ian Thorn of Wiltshire Council.

They called it “a landmark moment for Wessex”. They said a mayoral authority would give the area “greater local control over investment in transport, housing, skills, infrastructure, economic growth and jobs”. They added: “There is still work to do.”

The councils say they will now work with the Government to agree the next steps.

Where this stands

The answer is a statement of support, not a deal. No devolution agreement, timetable or election date has been published. The road to this point:

  • 5 December 2025. The four councils asked ministers to let Wessex hold mayoral elections in 2027. Wessex was not in the Government’s Devolution Priority Programme.
  • 12 August 2026. The leaders welcomed a Government invitation to express an interest in a Wessex Mayoral Strategic Authority. They described Wessex as “the only fully unitary area in England without a devolution arrangement”.
  • 21 October 2026. The Prime Minister said yes in the Commons, without a date.

What it means for you

A mayor would not replace Dorset Council. All four councils say a Wessex authority would not merge them: each would stay a separate council, still emptying your bins and running your schools. The council’s release puts it plainly: “Devolution is not Local Government Reorganisation.”

What would change is where some money and decisions sit. The mayor would hold powers handed down from Whitehall, mainly on transport, housing, skills and growth.

The councils’ case rests on money they say Wessex is missing. In December 2025 they estimated a funding shortfall of £300.74 million in 2025/26, or £159.29 per resident, compared with areas that already have a mayoral authority. They also estimate a mayoral deal could add £16 billion in economic output over 30 years. Mr Morello put the extra annual funding at £460 million. These are the councils’ and the MP’s own estimates; the Government has not published figures for Wessex.

Dorset residents would get a vote for the mayor once an authority is set up and an election date is fixed. Neither has happened yet. We will report the next step when the Government or the councils publish it.