MORE power for people in Hampshire is the subject of a major conference in Southampton on May 11.

Devolution is generating extra investment, new powers with new political leaders in other regions and cites but so far the South is losing out with huge implications for employers, businesses and residents.

The conference will look at whether devolution to central southern England can get back.

it has been organised by the Southern Policy Centre, the independent think-tank for central southern England.

The key note speaker will be former Treasury Minister Lord Jim O’Neill – who worked closely with George Osborne to establish the 'Northern Powerhouse'.

The conference at Southampton Solent University will be chaired by Peter Henley, BBC South’s political editor.

After the election of new metro-mayors on May 4, a third of England will be covered by these new leaders.

New powers and money have been promised to Manchester, London and the city-based Combined Authorities these Mayors will lead, giving local leaders more ability to investment in roads, rail and housing, and more less money to help local people develop new skills.

John Denham, former Southampton MP, government minister and chairman of the Southern Policy Centre, said: “Until now, the government and the local leaders in central southern England have failed to agree any significant devolution. The challenge is not to argue about what went wrong but to see how devolution can get back on track.

"With all political parties broadly supporting the idea of devolution to our region, this a timely opportunity to map out why 'devo-South' is important, and what the incoming government and the South’s local leaders need to do. We are delighted to have Jim O’Neill, who played a key role in shaping the Government’s devolution policy, to lead the debate on how we can get devolution back on track.”

Simon Eden, former chief executive of Winchester City Council and deputy at Southampton City Council, and conference organiser, said: “Councils, businesses and our universities must come together to present a united front to our politicians, and make sure the South’s demands are heard. With this conference the Southern Policy Centre is trying to drive that unity which is so important to our shared future.”

The conference is hosted by Southampton Solent University, and sponsored by Arup and Mott MacDonald. Speakers from those sponsors, the University of Winchester Business School, Oxford City Council and the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership will put the case for devolution in the South to invest in our economic future.

The Southern Policy Centre was established in 2014 to provide an independent voice for the South. Covering the area from Dorset to West Sussex and from Hampshire and the Isle of Wight north to Oxfordshire. We have undertaken a variety of projects on topics from devolution to Higher Education, with local businesses, councils and universities, see www.southernpolicycentre.co.uk.