SOUTHAMPTON, 16 July 2026 — Christopher Hammond, Chief Executive of UK100, responding to the government's local government reorganisation decisions, said:

"Taken together with the devolution drive, today's decisions complete the biggest redrawing of England's local government map in half a century.

"The map may be settling, but some of the questions that matter most are not. New councils need a statutory duty for climate action and real fiscal devolution that reaches every council, not only those with a strategic authority and a mayor. Local leaders need both the freedom and the responsibility to deliver. Our incoming Prime Minister built his reputation demanding the tools to do the job locally. Pairing local government reorganisation with those tools would ensure it is a catalyst for, not an obstacle to, local climate action.

"UK100 and our cross-party network of ambitious councils will be supporting members through every step of this transition — protecting their climate legacies and helping new authorities hit the ground running from day one. But councils cannot do it on goodwill alone. Government must now invest in the support, guidance and powers that make this seismic change work for the communities it serves."

More information: Liam Ward, Communications and Advocacy Manager, UK100: liam.ward@uk100.org