Comments on: Tory and Lib Dem manifesto no-show helps to make the case for elected mayor of Birmingham

By: Government unpopularity may mean ‘tsunami-like’ council election defeat for Tories and Lib Dems « The Chamberlain Files

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:01:15 +0000

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Sat, 14 Apr 2012 04:53:05 +0000

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By: Elected mayors – some facts to flavour the fantasy « The Chamberlain Files

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:14:49 +0000

[...] Tory and Lib Dem manifesto no-show helps to make the case for elected mayor of Birmingham (thechamberlainfiles.wordpress.com) [...]

By: Martin Mullaney

Martin Mullaney — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:42:56 +0000

If you look at the recent history of directed elected Mayors, you do end up with some unexpected results.

Hartlepool ended up with a ‘Hartlepool monkey’ who did no campaigning and did it as a joke.

Doncaster ended up with an English Democrat as Mayor, who again did no campaigning.

The directed elected Mayor contest has the potential to turn into an X-factor style contest, where the winner is someone who is doing it for a ‘laff’. This is why we need checks-and-balances in place, in case this happens. Otherwise, a directed Mayor could end up destroying Birmingham and we can’t stop them.

By: Jon Card (@joncard)

Jon Card (@joncard) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:34:56 +0000

Most councillors get elected by people who wouldn’t recognise them if they walked past them in the street. The job is so remarkably unglamorous and unattractive I am surprised that anyone with any talent aims to become one at all. Most people don’t vote in local elections and many of those that do make their preferences on the basis of national politics not on local issue. It is hardly a surprise that we get councillors who are unsuitable for the role and who behave in such a lousy fashion. A Mayor will be recognisable and therefore far more accountable. Do you really think Bob Warman or Sion Simon would go and live elsewhere if they got the job?
I agree that checks and balances are a good thing. But making sure the voters know who the candidates are is surely one of them.

By: Martin Mullaney

Martin Mullaney — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:16:15 +0000

I do wish it was a simple case of “a politician’s behaviour is kept in reasonable check by the fact that he/she wants to be re-elected,” Birmingham’s record on behavior of Councillors over the last 8 years has not been good.

We had five thrown out for postal vote fraud
We had two leave Birmingham, move over 100 miles away and refuse to stand down.
…and only last week one Councillor swearing and shouting at a Constituency meeting.

All Councillors want to do their best for the community, but from time-to-time they make mistakes – and sometimes those mistakes have an element of self interest. A directed elected Mayors would have those same faults and that is why we need checks-and-balances in place.

With the present Council Leader and Cabinet we have checks-and-balances in place. With the proposed directly elected Mayor there are NO checks-and-balances.

By: Martin Mullaney

Martin Mullaney — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:07:36 +0000

There are different types of directed elected Mayors. The type I would support is a directly elected Lord Mayor – someone who has purely an ambassadorial role and maybe have the power to call in decisions made by the Council Leader and Executive. This role is very similar to the role of President of Ireland.

As a city we do not make maximum use of our Lord Mayor, relegating the role to purely someone who visits local charities and cutting the ribbon for new playground equipment. To other countries the traditions surrounding the role of Lord Mayor is very powerful and influential. The Lord Mayor role should be used to help support delegations from Birmingham trying to attract companies into Birmingham.

With an elected Lord Mayor, people like Carl Chinn or Bob Warman would be perfect. Selling the brand ‘Birmingham’ to Europe and World.

As I have said before, I can not support the proposed all-powerful Mayor, who will just be an elected dictator.

By: Marc Reeves

Marc Reeves — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 13:49:58 +0000

Martin’s right to play the ‘removal’ or ‘recall’ card. It’s the strongest argument in the arsenal of the ‘no’ camp, and one that’s been handed them on a plate by the Government in its reluctance to prescribe the mayoral arrangments for specific cities.
One may understand that Greg Clark doesn’t want to hand over powers before he can see the whites of the new mayors’ eyes, but saying nothing on how a loony mayor can be removed is doing nothing for either side in the debate.
The problem with councillors being able to vote down every mayoral decision is that it undermines the very principle of the new role – the ability to make hard decisions in the short term that are seen to be the right thing in the long term (eg congestion charging).
‘Awkward squad’ councillors will be tempted to press the ‘no confidence’ button at every opportunity, seriously impeding a mayor’s ability to govern.
One solution is the Japanese model of ‘mutually assured destruction’. This means that when a group of councillors go for – and win – a no confidence motion, that also automatically triggers the dissoloution of the whole council and they’re all up for re-election again.
That would focus minds on both sides.

By: ian

ian — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:58:31 +0000

in the current system Jon every 3 years out of 4 you have the chance to vote and actually remove those parties you do not like.

By: Jon Card (@joncard)

Jon Card (@joncard) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:17:35 +0000

Typically a politician’s behaviour is kept in reasonable check by the fact that he/she wants to be re-elected, be popular and to advance their career in general. Any Mayor who did what Martin is suggesting would be in for a huge amount of criticism and probably not get re-elected. Unlike MPs in ultra-safe seats or anonymous Councillors (who get away with a lot), the Mayor of Birmingham would be very visible and therefore open to far more scrutiny. Nonetheless, you always have to keep a close eye on the buggers.