Who decides?
Four kinds of people make decisions that affect Portsmouth. They have different powers, and knowing which one to ask saves time.
Who does what
Member of Parliament (MP)
Does: Portsmouth has two MPs (Portsmouth North and Portsmouth South). MPs deal with matters that are the responsibility of the UK Parliament and government — for example the NHS, benefits and pensions, immigration, and national school funding — scrutinise the government and vote on laws. They can take up constituents’ cases and make representations to the council.
Doesn't: MPs do not run council services, direct council officers or decide council spending. For council matters Parliament’s own guidance points people to the local council or their councillor.
Contact them for: Hospitals and the NHS; Benefits, pensions and National Insurance; Immigration; School closures and funding; Transport facilities
UK Parliament: Who should I contact with my issue? · ModernGov web service: GetMpOrMepsAndWards (bIsMPs=true)
City councillor
Does: 42 councillors, three per ward, elected for four years. Together at Full Council they set the budget and main policies and appoint the Leader. The Leader and Cabinet take most executive decisions; other councillors sit on scrutiny panels and regulatory committees (planning, licensing). All councillors handle ward casework and act as advocates for residents.
Doesn't: Individual councillors do not manage staff or take operational decisions; those are for officers. Complaints made to a councillor are passed to the council’s complaints team.
Contact them for: Council tax, housing, bins and recycling, street repairs and parking, children and families, schools (Parliament guidance list); Local ward issues and casework; Help to raise a complaint or petition
Constitution Part 1 Ch 1: Summary and explanation (PDF) · Constitution Part 1 Ch 2: Members of the Council (PDF)
Council officers (staff)
Does: Paid staff who give advice, implement decisions and manage day-to-day services. Three statutory officers have legal duties: the Head of Paid Service (Chief Executive), the Chief Finance Officer (s151) and the Monitoring Officer (legality and councillor conduct).
Doesn't: Officers do not set policy or the budget; they act within powers delegated by councillors and are answerable to the Chief Executive.
Contact them for: Service requests and problems (first contact); Complaints (via the complaints team); FOI requests; Deputation and question registrations (Democratic Services)
Constitution Part 1 Ch 1: Summary and explanation (PDF) · Constitution Part 1 Ch 12: Officers (PDF)
Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority (HSCCA)
Does: A strategic authority created through the government’s Devolution Priority Programme, bringing together Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton on regional priorities such as transport, skills, housing and economic growth. Portsmouth’s Leader sits on its Board.
Doesn't: The HSCCA does not collect bins or run day-to-day council services, and it is not the same thing as local government reorganisation (LGR), which concerns the structure of councils and is under government review after the March 2026 decision was withdrawn on 7 Sep 2026.
Contact them for: Regional transport, skills and growth strategy
Hampshire and the Solent Combined County Authority: About us · GOV.UK: LGR programme review and decisions withdrawal letter to council leaders (7 Sep 2026)
Your people
MP for Portsmouth North
Amanda Martin
Labour
MP for Portsmouth South
Stephen Morgan
Labour
City council
Steve Pitt
Leader, Liberal Democrat majority (23 of 42 seats; 22 is a majority).
Council, MP or regional authority?
| If you want to… | Go to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| My bin wasn’t collected | Council Portsmouth City Council | HSCCA names bin collections as a service councils keep. |
| There’s a pothole / broken pavement on my road | Council Portsmouth City Council (highway authority) | Councils remain highway authorities even after HSCCA becomes the transport authority. |
| Objecting to a planning application | Council Portsmouth City Council (local planning authority) | Local planning stays with councils; a future mayor could call in only strategically important applications once an SDS exists. |
| Social care, school places or library services | Council Portsmouth City Council | HSCCA lists schools, libraries and social care as council services. |
| Council housing repair or housing waiting list | Council Portsmouth City Council | No HSCCA housing management function exists; HSCCA says local service decisions stay with councils. |
| My local bus route is being cut | Council Portsmouth City Council (transport authority until 8 May 2028); HSCCA for regional bus strategy; mayor decides on franchising after 2028 | Councils lead day-to-day transport during the concurrency period. |
| How will the £1.3bn investment fund be spent in the region? | HSCCA HSCCA Board (Portsmouth member: Cllr Steve Pitt); scrutiny by HSCCA Overview & Scrutiny Committee | HSCCA holds and allocates the Investment Fund. |
| Adult education and retraining courses | HSCCA HSCCA from August 2027 (commissioning Adult Skills Fund); until then national funding via government | Adult skills commissioning transfers to HSCCA from the 2027/28 academic year. |
| Policing priorities in my area | Other Police and Crime Commissioner now; expected to pass to the mayor in 2028 | PCC functions are not yet with HSCCA; transfer is expected at the 2028 mayoral election, subject to secondary legislation. |
| A problem with a government agency (benefits, visas, HMRC) or national law | MP Your constituency MP | MPs can take up cases with government departments and raise issues in Parliament; they do not run council or HSCCA services. |
Find who can help with a problem How council decisions are made