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Mayor debate, Onneley House, Harborne. Gisela Stuart MP for Edgbaston speaking.

What’s the difference between an elected mayor and the Council’s Chief Executive?

The Chief Executive is an official appointed by the Council, rather than an elected politician. Their job is to manage the Council’s employees and act as head of the senior management team. The mayor, together with the Council cabinet, is … Continue reading →

Who will decide whether we have an elected Mayor?

It’s all down to the voters of Birmingham! On 3 May there will be a vote to decide whether we want to change to an elected mayor. The vote is taking place on the same day as the elections to … Continue reading →

Does it really matter to Birmingham how our leader is picked?

Yes. Anonymous leaders are bad for Birmingham. An old-fashioned leader of the council is just not visible enough to be a leader of a modern city, on the global stage. Ask yourself, if the leader of the council passed you … Continue reading →

Is it more democratic to have a directly elected mayor?

Absolutely! At the moment, the old fashioned leader of the council doesn’t have to worry about winning your vote, unless he or she happens to be your local councillor. Instead, they are appointed leader by a small group of councillors … Continue reading →

I’ve read that an elected Mayor could lead to corruption. Is this true?

No. It is nonsense to claim that if the people of Birmingham could directly elect their Mayor, we would be opening the door to Tammany Hall-style corruption. We can’t ignore the fact that corruption does sometimes happen in politics. Here … Continue reading →

Wouldn’t a directly elected mayor just be a dictator?

It’s a funny sort of dictator who has to be re-elected every few years, and needs to work with other elected politicians in the meantime. Firstly, and most importantly, a directly elected mayor will be directly accountable to the electorate. … Continue reading →

How will a directly elected mayor stay in touch with the views of local people?

Simply put, they will have to, because everyone will know the buck stops with them. As the Mayor of Lewisham, Steve Bullock has pointed out, his high profile means that “if I go into a supermarket, people come up and … Continue reading →

Haven’t directly elected mayors been tried elsewhere, and not worked?

It’s a huge distortion of the facts to say that directly elected mayors have been tried, and failed. Think of London, where big-hitters like Ken and Boris have made sure the city’s needs have been taken seriously. Think of Middlesborough, … Continue reading →

What about Doncaster? Didn’t they elect an English Democrat to be mayor?

That’s true. In 2009, the people of Doncaster elected Peter Davies, of the minority English Democrat party, to be their mayor. It was a controversial choice, and next year, the people will get to give their verdict on Mr Davies’ … Continue reading →

Why would Gisela be a good mayor for Birmingham?

Because she’s a fighter. Birmingham needs a leader who won’t take no for an answer. Gisela knows there’s a job to be done here in Birmingham, and her record proves that she won’t just walk away when the going gets … Continue reading →

What difference would an elected Mayor make to my life?

All the evidence shows that directly elected mayors can get things done. In London, Crossrail happened because of strong leadership from the Mayor of London. In Middlesborough, Ray Mallon, was able to bang heads together and cut crime by 18 … Continue reading →

Isn’t an elected Mayor against the British traditions of local government?

Not really. There has always been a tradition of strong leaders in British local government. Think of Birmingham’s own Joseph Chamberlain, who practically invented strong city leadership in the 1870s. Thanks to him, Birmingham was known for a long time … Continue reading →

Will an elected Mayor cost the taxpayer more?

Why should it? There is no reason why a directly elected mayor should cost any more than the existing council structures do. The salary of the directly elected mayor, like that of the current leadership of the council, will be … Continue reading →

Does having an elected mayor mean we will have fewer councillors?

There is already some talk about cutting the number of councillors if we get an elected Mayor. I think that this would be the wrong thing to do. Birmingham wards are the largest in England, with our Councillors representing more … Continue reading →