What we're getting currently is a reorganisation which will reduce costs.
The current councils have submitted their proposals of how to combine existing councils into larger entities which match the governments 500,000 population target.
The initial options all treated the Isle of Wight as a special case which will retain its own council because of its geography.
And Portsmouth/Havant/Fareham/Gosport were all combined together in all of the initial options.
In the final proposal there are also two other combined councils; South East Hampshire covering Southampton, Eastleigh, New Forest and Test Valley, and North and Mid Hampshire covering Winchester, Basingstoke and Deane, Hart and East Hampshire.
Only one candidate has declared so far: Donna Jones the Hampshire Police Comissioner and ex-Portsmouth Councillor has been selected by the Conservative Party.
The leader of Southampton City Council, Lorna Fielker, stepped down in July 2025 to pursue the Labour nomination according to the BBC.