More Letters to the Bolton News - Elected Mayors

Just to update the record of letters printed in the Bolton News on the subject of Elected Mayors.

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Chance to cast vote would be nice

Monday 7th December 2009

RE the letter from Mr Peter Johnston. There are some points I would like to answer. I don't remember ever saying that I wanted an elected mayor — what I want is the opportunity to vote for one.

I will accept the majority decision of the democratic vote. I asked, what number of voters would be acceptable for the council? No answer. I don’t want to know what the Labour Party would have done many years ago.

Mr Johnston is entitled to his view, but not to say that most of the population is not interested in such an idea. How does he know?

I presume that this senior colleague from Yorkshire he speaks of actually means, The Mayor of Doncaster. This colleague of his says, “we’ve got one and you can’t keep tabs on the blighter, and if we can’t keep tabs on him, what chance has the ordinary punter?”

It looks to me that Yorkshire have the same “I know best” attitude that Bolton Council has. Classing the voter as an “ordinary punter” — how condescending. Unlike Mr Johnston’s colleague, The Mayor of Doncaster is probably out working for the council taxpayers of Yorkshire, trying to make savings and get value for money.
Great Britain was built on democratic values which are now being denied us by Europe, the Government and local councils.

James Birch - Sharples

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The maths proves a lack of interest

Thursday 10th December 2009


JAMES Birch (Letters, December 7) asks how I know that the majority of the population are not much interested in the notion of an elected Mayor.

Simple.

There are, give or take, about 100,000 households in Bolton MBC. I do not know the precise circulation of Bolton Scene, but it is a fair working assumption that it reaches at least half of them.

Assume an average of two adults per household, of whom only one actually reads the paper.

Assume further that half of those who do read it are too busy, too overburdened, or have more important things to do than to respond to the question about whether there should be a ballot.

That leaves an electoral base of 25,000 of whom only 700, or 2.8 per cent, were sufficiently interested to reply. That hardly suggests a high level of general interest.

If that is insufficient proof, remember that, when the Anti Congestion Charge campaign was at its height, the opponents of the charge attempted to raise petitions for elected mayors in several of the Greater Manchester authorities. In none of them were they able to secure the required 10,000 signatures.

I do not anyway believe in governance by plebiscite, for the simple reason that, for any complicated issue, a majority of the electorate will be ill equipped either by training or experience to reach an informed conclusion.

But as to democratic accountability. If this means anything at all apart from the occasional opportunity to reject our chosen representatives at the ballot box, it surely means that we can from time to time challenge them as to their activities, and hold them accountable.

And if, in any specified political framework, it is difficult for experienced politicians to hold a Mayor accountable, it is bound to be 10 times as difficult for anyone else, without experience or understanding of the way local government works.

Peter Johnston Kendal Road Bolton

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An elected mayor would be sensitive to public opinion

Saturday 12th December 2009

PETER Johnston is not in favour of an elected Mayor (“An elected Mayor is not a good idea”, Letters, November 18).

He backs up his view by citing a comment made to him by a “senior colleague in a Yorkshire authority” who claimed that it was difficult to keep tabs on the mayor.
This statement got me wondering.

Was this senior colleague of his an elected official of this Yorkshire authority, or one of the unelected officials who believe that it is their God-given right to rule over us?

Having an elected executive mayor is by no means perfect (Ken Livingstone’s regime in London is a prime example).

But, for example, if Bolton had had an elected mayor at the time of the market hall episode, I would very much doubt we would have the market hall like it is today.
An elected mayor would be far more sensitive to public opinion than the present administration which, overall, would not be a bad thing.

Stuart A Chapman Patterdale Road Harwood

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And finally, one I have submitted on 10th December which has yet to be printed.

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Dear Sir

So, Bolton Council has succeeded in passing the resolution required to change its governance arrangements.

Up until now your correspondents (including myself) have concentrated on the quality of the Consultation.

It seems to me that for the Council, it was never about elected mayors, but, in order to implement the changes they wanted, the Act required them to go through this rigmarole.

Resting upon the assurances of their top legal officer they have done, in my view, the minimum consultation they think they can get away with.

It might be appropriate to examine what is actually going to change.

This is laid out in the required publicity for the proposals on page 2 of November's issue of Bolton Scene.

Basically, from next May, instead of the full Council choosing the Executive Members and determining their roles and responsibilities, this power will now be given to the 'new style' Leader. He will have the same powers as would have an elected mayor.

The Leader will be chosen by the whole Council after the local elections next May and will serve until he or she, personally, has to face their own ward election - up to a maximum of four years.

The governance will mimic the Westminster set up with the difference that after the following local elections in 2011 it would be theoretically possible to have, say, a Conservative Leader in a Council that has a majority of Labour Councillors. Sounds great fun!

It seems to me that power will have shifted even more towards the 'Elite' of the town hall (including officers) away from the backbench - foot soldier - dare I say lobby fodder of the people you and I elect.

More democracy - I think not.

To Mr Johnston (Letters 10th Dec) I say - try keeping tabs on this Cabal at the top after next May.

Paul Richardson etc.
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More very soon on who runs the Town Hall.

Paul