Kent’s council leaders issue “devolution desert” warning

All 14 of Kent and Medway’s council leaders have put their political differences to one side to urge the government to deliver devolution for the county and avoid it becoming a ‘devolution desert’.

Today (Friday 28 November), they wrote to ministers calling on them to let Kent and Medway take more control of its own destiny by allowing decision-making and money to flow from the corridors of power in Whitehall to the Garden of England. Devolution would lead to the creation of a strategic authority for Kent and Medway tackling countywide challenges and securing a seat at the table of the government’s recently-created Council of the Nations and Regions.

The letter says: “As a diverse set of leaders representing six different political parties, we are absolutely united that, for our residents, Kent requires a seat at the devolution table.

“We stand ready to work with each other, and with government, on achieving and delivering devolution for our region.

“We ask in the strongest possible terms that Kent be considered for inclusion in the next phase of the devolution programme.”

The letter also warns of the risk of Kent becoming a devolution desert.

It says: “With almost all of our geographical and statistical neighbours across the south east and nationally either having already achieved devolution or being on the Devolution Priority Programme, Kent faces the detrimental prospect of becoming a devolution desert.

“This would mean missing out on significant powers and resource from government, being one of the only areas not to have a voice on the Council of the Nations and Regions.

“This will have a detrimental impact on our ability to improve outcomes and deliver growth for our residents.”

The letter outlines a powerful case for the change including:

• the councils’ long track of working closely together at a political and officer level, none more so than during the local government reorganisation (LGR) process, and having the ready-made ability to deliver devolution
• having a comprehensive plan for growth and the importance of its economy for the country as a whole
• the need to tackle the unique challenges that come from being the gateway to Europe including managing our borders and the infrastructure that come with them and looking after unaccompanied asylum-seeking children
• a very clear idea of what a strategic authority could deliver including: transport and the critical national infrastructure around Kent’s key ports of entry, economic development and regeneration including the Local Growth Plan, delivery of the Spatial Development Strategy, skills and job creation, public service reform including strategic collaboration with the health service and taking on the work of the Police and Crime Commissioner whose office is being abolished

The letter says change is supported by key partners across Kent.

It goes on: “We believe the alignment of devolution with LGR in Kent is not only logical, it is essential.

“This is supported by a broad range of our strategic partners including those in health, higher and further education, business, housing and transport.

“We are working with them to understand the implications and risks of fragmenting key services as well as all of the one-off missed opportunities for extensive public service reform.”

The letter comes on the day councils in Kent and Medway have submitted their preferred business cases for LGR.

Kent has a population of almost two million people living in large conurbations, smaller towns and villages, rural and coastal communities and benefits from the resulting mixed economies they create.

Kent is larger than five nations in the EU and 91 countries and dependencies across the world.

Published: 28 November 2025