Born and bred in Portsmouth, Cllr Steve Pitt was first elected as a councillor in 2016 and is the Leader of Portsmouth City Council and also has cabinet responsibilities for Culture, Regeneration and Economic Development and Portsmouth International Port. 

Steve has been involved in organising cultural events across the city for 20 years and is a champion of culture's ability to drive regeneration and positively change lives, and was the driving force behind the establishment of Hampshire and Solent Film Office. 

He has run his own business and has worked across several sectors within the arts including as a music manager and promoter, and theatre director. 

He is on the regional council for Arts Council South-West and is a trustee of Portsmouth Historic Quarter Trust. Steve is a Board Member of the Solent Freeport and is Chair of the Solent Growth Partnership (run in conjunction with IOW and Southampton), the successor to the Solent LEP.