Directly Elected Mayors
Are they appropriate for all major UK cities?
Author: Tom Shakespeare, Anthony Browne, Steve Malanga and Cllr Richard Kemp |
Directly Elected Mayors
Are they appropriate for all major UK cities?
Although we often associate modern style of mayors in the UK (mainly London) as imports from the US, there is a relatively long history of mayors stretching as far back as the 12th Century in UK. Most modern day mayors in the UK are now ceremonial, but there is increasingly becoming an appetite for more elected mayors across the political spectrum. The introduction of the Mayor of London has transformed the governance of London, and has only increased the demand for them across the country. However, many argue that London is a special case – and that the need for a Mayor in London came about because there was a clear political void. But is London a special case, or is there a more widespread political void which elected mayors can fill?
In this first publication of its type for Localis, this issue is debated between Anthony Browne, an advocate of mayors and Director of Policy for the Mayor of London and Richard Kemp, Leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the LGA. The final article, by Steve Malanga of the City Journal in the US, takes an international perspective and shows us that the debate about local accountability is not unique to the UK.
In his article, Richard Kemp challenges mayoral supporters to ‘show me the evidence’. He argues that if the current success rate of Mayors was applied across the Country it would be a disaster. He goes on to say that they do not improve turnout and that in fact Council Leaders are frequently just as well known. It is important that local people have a say about how their area is governed, but most importantly local areas need to have the power to act. This requires a radical overhaul of the quango state, or as Malanga intelligently articulates in his response: “A mayor who is responsible for only a small portion of local government will be as ineffective as an elected council with the same limited responsibilities.”
However, in Anthony Browne’s article, there is a strong sense that mayors help to improve the profile of local government. In order to overcome the over-centralisation of government in the UK, it is vital that local government proves itself to be strong, and mayors can help to achieve this. In the case of London, the strong political leadership has allowed projects that would not have got off the ground to take off – such as Crossrail or the successful Olympics bid. Another thing that mayors can help to solve is the party political operators which dominate local Councils. Browne goes on to argue that the reason mayors are not more common now is because of the established political elite who are determined not to give up power.
In Malanga’s article there is a recognition that there are a number of different potential mayoral models, ranging from impartial City managers appointed by Council to directly elected mayors – many of which have emerged in the US. His main argument is that different cities have taken different approaches and that this should be welcomed. This chimes very closely with what Localis has argued – local people deciding local governance, and that one solution in one place is not necessarily the best solution in another. There is no one size fits all approach. However, as Malanga and other contributors point out the lines of political accountability need to be clear. This is a problem which pervades the whole political system – from Regional Development Agencies and central government to local government, and until we address this question changes to the model of governance are unlikely to have any significant impact. Perhaps it is a question of the chicken or the egg – or maybe the solution relies on both chicken and egg simultaneously – who knows?
These essays provide a real insight into the current thinking on the future of mayors and local government. The essays here are punchy and persuasive, yet despite the strong differences of opinion, we can begin to see the potential for some kind of consensus for the future. We hope you enjoy reading them.