Mayoral matters: Local government must be accessible

We don't have an elected executive mayor in Brighton & Hove. We have a mayor but he is ceremonial, elected by the 54 city councillors at their annual meeting in May. The role, held for one year, is symbolic with the Leader of the Council, usually a member of the largest party, taking most decisions about schools, rubbish collection and so on.

Labour's nice gay-friendly Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly is finishing the new laws on elected executive mayors. These new laws will end the current requirement to hold a local referendum on whether we want an elected mayor. A bit undemocratic, you say? Apparently they still have to 'consult' us, but let's hope it isn't like the 'consultation' on the future of Worthing and Shoreham hospitals which resulted in closure.

In fact, in 2001 voters in our city threw out the idea in a referendum by a huge margin of 62 to 38 per cent. Greens, some Labour, the Tories and the Lib Dems all united with community leaders in a successful Allies For Democracy campaign. That was pretty convincing. So why are there all these ideas again about an all-powerful mayor in our city? Surely this should be off the agenda ?

Kelly's new laws, if adopted, would put most major decisions into the hands of one politician rather than all councillors. One person speaking for over 250,000 on issues such as rubbish, education, policing and licensing is madness and marks the way to a gloomy future where every local Nero can fiddle while Rome burns. As a Green I believe in government being as local, accountable and accessible as possible. But how easy would it be for the mayor to be a populist property developer a pop star or even a comedian? Or be under the undue influence of big business, or the religious right?

People point to London and say that Ken Livingstone has been a good mayor there. Whatever one thinks of Ken, the comparison is false. The Mayor of London has a regional strategic role in a huge capital city and works with around 32 London boroughs who have important functions such as education. This would not be the case in our single tier city council.

Greens want councils to resound to the voices of all communities and all backgrounds; councils with the ability to democratically decide their futures. We believe that nothing should be done in Westminster if it can be done equally well, or better, locally. We want a council that is accountable to all communities and that's why we oppose an elected all-powerful mayor.