The Government wants Portsmouth to merge into a larger authority which will include other areas. Those areas have different needs, they are not Portsmouth and they may come with lots of Hampshire's debt which Portsmouth did not incur. Portsmouth should remain its own city and not be forced to merge and lose its identity.
Cllr Steve Pitt, Leader of Portsmouth Council, has written to Jim McMahon MP, Labour's Reorganisation Chief, to say Hands Off Portsmouth!
Unfortunately, the Labour government are in a financial mess. Labour's alleged number one mission is growth - but the economy shrank again in January. Now Labour is expected to cut welfare benefits to balance the books.
Nelson Councillor Richard Adair tells us why his message to Starmer is 'Hands Off Portsmouth'
