6,000 signed petition to Prime Minister, as Lib Dems say: "Hands off Portsmouth!"

21 Mar 2026

A 6,000 signature petition from Portsmouth was taken to the House of Parliament to send the Prime Minister a clear message - ‘Hands Off Portsmouth!’ Portsmouth Lib Dems have been leading the city’s campaign against Labour’s plans to merge local councils into a giant ‘monster-council’.

The plans would mean that Portsmouth could be forced to merge with its surrounding councils including Fareham, Havant, Gosport - and possibly even Southampton! This new ‘monster-council’ would inherit an annual £67 million deficit from nearly bankrupt Hampshire County Council as part of the plans.

LABOUR MUST LISTEN

Portsmouth residents would face devasting cuts to essential local services from ‘day one’. This includes putting the city’s weekly bin collections at risk, stopping our youth service, the closure of libraries and adventure playgrounds and cutting the community warden service.

“It would be disastrous for local people,” says Lib Dem Council Leader Steve Pitt. “If necessary we will use every power we have at our disposal, including taking this government to court, to stop this stupid plan.”

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