Labour MPs across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have welcomed the announcement at the Budget 2026 of a new Mayoral Strategic Authority for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, saying it will bring more power and investment closer to local communities.
The announcement is part of Labour’s wider drive to move decisions out of Westminster and give local leaders more control over the priorities that can grow the economy, create jobs and improve people’s lives.
In a statement, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Labour MPs, Jacob Collier (Burton and Uttoxeter), Sarah Edwards (Tamworth), Allison Gardner (Stoke-on-Trent South), Leigh Ingham (Stafford), Adam Jogee (Newcastle-under-Lyme), Josh Newbury (Cannock Chase), Dave Robertson (Lichfield), Gareth Snell (Stoke-on-Trent Central) and David Williams (Stoke-on-Trent North) said:
“This is great news for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire. For too long, decisions about our future have been made too far away. Devolution means putting more power in the hands of people who understand our communities – so we can back local jobs and businesses, improve transport and skills, and bring investment to the places that need it.
“This is an important step towards making sure our area has a stronger voice and can shape its own future.”
The MPs said they would work with local councils, businesses, colleges and community organisations to ensure the new authority delivers for people across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire.
Staffordshire County Council and Stoke-on-Trent City Council hailed the Government’s decision to begin talks on giving the area greater control over transport, skills, housing and economic growth.
A joint statement said a Mayoral Strategic Authority (MSA) could bring new powers and investment to the area, helping local leaders make more decisions about transport, skills, jobs, housing and economic growth.
But the statement added: “The MSA would work alongside local councils, not replace them. Councils will continue to provide services such as household bin collections, social care, children’s services, council tax and street cleaning, with no immediate changes for residents, staff or services.”
Councillor Hayley Coles, Acting Leader of Staffordshire County Council said: “Today’s announcement is great news for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent. It is a chance for us to have a stronger voice and more say over the important decisions that affect us.
“We want Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to get a fair deal, and we will ensure that devolution works for the whole of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, with the benefits felt by all our communities, residents and businesses.
“We know our area best, and this is an opportunity to shape our own future.”
Jane Ashworth, Leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “This is an important step forward in giving Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire the powers and funding we deserve to shape our future.
“Without an MSA we would inevitably have to watch other places get more, simply because they have a mayor and we do not. An MSA puts us at the head of the pack.
“We know this city and county have huge potential – and the key to unlocking that is putting the power in the hands of the people who live and work here, not bureaucrats in Westminster.”
Newcastle-under-Lyme council leader Jonathan Gullis also welcomed the news. He said: “I have always been a supporter of genuine devolution and therefore welcome the Government’s announcement that it is in the final stages of agreeing a Strategic Mayoral Authority for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, which has the potential to bring decision-making closer to the communities we serve.
“A Strategic Mayoral Authority for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent has the potential to be a real game-changer for our area, helping us attract investment, create better-paid jobs, improve skills and apprenticeships, and deliver a more joined-up public transport network.
“However, the devil will be in the detail. For devolution to deliver on its promise, it must mean real powers and control being transferred from Westminster to Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent, backed by the funding needed to make a meaningful difference to people’s lives.”
Daily Focus has contacted all ten Staffordshire authorities for reaction.
