Campaign begins for people's mayor

Bradford could become the first city to follow London with a "people's" Lord Mayor taking control of the district.

A campaign group has already been set up in the first move towards the radical change. The people's choice has collected 1,500 signatures on a petition in a bid to get a referendum on the new mayoral system.

But legislation requires at least 17,400 signatures - one fifth of the population to get the referendum.

If a majority of people across the district opted for the system, an election could take place as early as next year.

Experts say a Bradford Lord Mayor would have tremendous "clout" with regional and national government in putting the district's case.

He or she would be elected for four years at a time and advocates of the system say bureaucracy could be cut, leading to swift decision making.

The famous elected mayors of places like New York and Barcelona have put their cities in the world limelight and given them great benefits.

Mayors from France who visit Bradford are often amazed that the district's first citizen is not directly elected.

And Ken Livingstone has taken up the cudgels for his London electors forcing a change in government policy over the crisis torn London Underground transport system.

An elected mayor could choose his own cabinet of up to nine people and they would not necessarily be all politicians.

But there would still be a real role for Bradford Council because members would still have to decide the budget and scrutinise the mayor's decisions.

But many other councils have been slow to take steps towards the change because members believe their own power will be drastically eroded.

Top local government expert Gerry Stoker told the Telegraph & Argus: "A directly accountable mayor elected by the people is likely to be highly visible. Americans can trip their tongues immediately to the name of the mayor but the onus is on getting the right person and you have to have high quality leader figures in the contest. But the woman or man would grow into the role."

Dr Stoker - professor in political science at Manchester University - said he believed the system could be a success in Bradford, which is Britain's fourth biggest metropolitan authority.

He said Mr Livingstone was fired up with fighting the needs of his voters and he believed a Bradford mayor would also fight their corner.

People's Choice co-ordinator Jim O'Neill said: "The city is going to rumble and bumble along with the same old pattern in spite of the fact that it is one of Britain's biggest cities.

"The cabinet system is a hybrid - not old or new. We want to move into the 21st Century with a system which gives everybody a say.

"People power is working in London and in the rest of the world, and it could work in Bradford."

Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, said: "We would resist strongly any move to centralise power into the hands of one person. It might make for speedier decisions but I don't believe it will make for good decisions."

Labour Group leader, Councillor Ian Greenwood, said: "I am relaxed about the mayor model but in a district as diverse as Bradford I believe it would be more sensible to have a wide-based council administration."

He said he also feared there could be gridlock with the mayor and cabinet model if it involved a mayor with a "different political persuasion."

Councillor Greenwood added: "The reality is that it's more up to the people than the actual models. The people doing it are the most important."

Council leader Councillor Margaret Eaton said: "My personal view on the autocratic proposals is that it would give enormous power to one individual but the point which hasn't been clarified is what would happen if his or her view were the opposite of the democratically elected councillors.

e-mail: olwen.vasey @bradford.newsquest.co.uk