More mayors only good for Labour and local people

Today’s announcement by the Communities Secretary for less targets, more public accountability and better leadership for our local authorities should only be welcomed, especially by the left. They offer a new constitutional framework that will protect local government from a future “Thatcher” style centralising government and put services more truly in the hands of the people. It will give local Government the leaders to stand up to central government and focus on the local needs of their electorate.

Love him or hate him, the Mayor of London, has made London proud of its self and brought back the idea that who you vote for really does matter. Without Ken Livingstone there would be no mainstream leader would be sharing a stage with Hugo Chavez; without it being a Labour Mayor we would have not seen the support for record levels of investment into the public transport network, funding for LGBT Pride and the campaign for a living wage for Londoners. When Ken is involved you cant miss the MAYOR OF LONDON symbol on posters around London and the underground which makes clear where the accountability lies and where your taxes are going.

Mayors for the other great cities in the UK would do this as well and would in many places give people the Labour Leadership they voted for rather than the Tory/Liberal collusion we see in places like Birmingham. Decisiveness, leadership and accountability is what our cities deserve. We need to have direction and someone with the power, vision and structure to see it through. Directly elected mayors will make town halls more democratic, giving people real choice through their own form of PR – supplementary vote – and an option to elect the Executive and legislature separately.

Campaigns for a mayor for Liverpool supported by groups like the New Local Government Network are local people calling for change and better governance of the area. Under these Mayors, you will know who is responsible for any council tax rises, why strategic decisions have not been taken and have someone to hold to account!

This system will also make Labour better leaders locally, there will be rigorous accountability of the Mayor (if they are Labour), it will be a highly contested selection meeting unlike too many councillor seats and because a Mayor only needs a third of the council to see through proposals Labour Leaders will no longer be held to ransom by factions in the Labour Group intent on derailing the leaders agenda.

For more information on the White Paper see: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6084998.stm or http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&PressNoticeID=2271.

Comments

[swatantra nandanwar]

Sounds good to me. The trouble with LG has been the grindingly slow progress made and no one sngle figure who can be held accountable; it still smacks of the old committee system of faceless grey men/women, even though we have had reform into an Executive Cabinet and backbenchers.
The Mayoral system will give a much needed boost to local politics and engagement with the disillusioned punters out there. The added avantage is that The Mayor can call in his own team of advisors and Cabinet of experts, and not rely on elected members, who may not have the necessary skills and most often lack the vision.

[Mark]

Ruth Kelly, wittingly or unwittingly is playing right into the hands of labour opposition. The mayoral system is on the verge of collapsing into a quagmire, nationally. I would agree in empowering local people but giving Mayors like the one in Doncaster, (who coincidently is a patron of Progress),more power will further fuel referendums and the rejection of Labour Party Values. This system is not popular in my local area where 90% of the electorate want it scrapped. Give more power to Local Government you will alienate the voters. Having failed as Education Secretary, with reference to faith schools and academies, you are heading towards failure as a Communities Secretary, if this line of approach is continued. Why doesn't this Labour Government Listen and Learn.
Mayors may well be bullet proof until the next general election, but there will be a independent mayor in Doncaster, guaranteed whose intention I am I led to believe is to scrap the system.