By Suzanne Cumberbatch A think-tank has said the Government’s system of elected mayors is too confusing for the electorate – and is the reason for a third campaign to scrap it. The New Local Government Network (NLGN) claims lack of clarity has led to the call for referendums in Lewisham LBC, Stoke City Council and now Doncaster MBC. ‘We need to determine whether it is the individual or institution that is the problem,’ said head of policy and research at NLGN, Dick Sorabji. ‘There is confusion over the office and the person. It is important for people to be clear what they are against and not destroy a system that is, essentially, working.’ Doncaster mayor, Martin Winter, joined Lewisham’s Steve Bullock and Stoke’s Mark Meredith in the firing line, as a group calling itself the Doncaster Fair Deal Campaigners launched a bid to oust him. It claims the public feels it has ‘jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire’ with the electorate having no ‘true method of being heard or taken notice of’. Campaign secretary, Joan Moffat, said the elected representatives also felt ‘totally disenfranchised’, with the mayor able to overrule any decision made in council. With the exception of Torbay, which elected a mayor last year, referendums can now be held in all 12 areas with the system, if 5% of the electorate backs the move. But even if a referendum favoured ousting the mayor, change could not happen until the mayor’s term of office ended or he or she resigned, was disqualified or died. A majority vote of councillors must back a petition requesting a referendum to oust a mayor, but this is not required to introduce them. The lack of a clear exit strategy is causing even more confusion and anger among those leading campaigns for a mayor’s removal. ‘We need to ask people what institution of government they want,’ Dr Sorabji added. ‘We are very much in favour of local choice, but it would be a shame for people to throw away something that benefits them.’ Local government secretary, Ruth Kelly, has firmly backed directly-elected mayors, saying they give greater accountability so that citizens and council taxpayers ‘know who to blame and who to praise’ (The MJ, 29 June 2006). Doncaster MBC said it had no comment to make on the campaign. s.cumberbatch@hgluk.com l See letters, page 8
