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Elected Mayor for Warrington?


Gary

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Local Authority dependency on central Gov funding and consequent cuts due to austerity, have merely underlined it's irrelevance.  The Tory dipping of toes into the issue of devolution and constitutional change (which they don't really believe in); has merely resulted in a dog's breakfast of City Regions and Police Commissioners, at additional cost.  The whole system imo, requires modernising and streamlining; from the House of Lords down to Parish Councils; with similar structures to Germany or Australia - National, Regional and Local strata, with duties assigned at the lowest appropriate level.  At the same time, the opportunity would exist to reduce the number of politicians throughout, by scrapping elected Councillors and introducing single elected Mayors, who would be responsible for appointing a small executive to run things. I believe the UK has one of the highest number of politicians per capita in the world,  most being engaged as voting fodder, as their decisions are whipped.   As for this petition:  the addition of an elected Mayor, whilst still retaining 59 councillors, is just a cosmetic addition to our Council Tax bill.      :ph34r:

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But just think of the job creation scheme this can become, an elected mayor, like the police commissioner could give stupidly remunerated positions to his /her cronies friends and family, even if they refuse to produce a cv and deliver a car crash interview,  can't get better than that lol.  In truth this sounds like the Libs/Cons desperately trying to get a slice of the pie despite them losing their seats left right and Centre. Out of interest how much will a referendum cost?  Imagine the same or more than the EU one.

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The guy whose pushing this referendum, complains about the Executive Cttee not being "cross party", well, it was never intended to be, it's the "executive";  a function a single party Mayor would perform if elected.   :ph34r:    The only bonus to having an elected Mayor (without any Councillors), would be the buck stopping with him or her, dispensing with the usual party politicking blame games.  :ph34r:

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My understanding what the promotor (Richard Buttrey) is asking for is for the executive (which must still exist with an elected mayor for a principal council) to be selected on a balanced party basis. With an elected mayor the executive is up to ten people chosen from the Councillors and the elected mayor. ISTR that Richard hints -between the lines- that the votes of those against the PDO could be garnered by a candidate giving such an undertaking to the electorate. It is only those who have looked at PR in Warrington that realise that it is the tories who are most under-represented in seats based on their votes received. I find it difficult to believe that any of the main parties other than the tories would give such an undertaking, since only they have nothing to lose. The Mayor, I have now found out, cannot also be a councillor so the prospect of the current Council Leader taking the role would involve him leaving the council.

There is an option for the petition to suggest a return to the previous committee system where committees were filled proportionally on the basis of seats won. That would be a much more appropriate way of achieving Richard's stated aims. It is really important to get the question right, but it seems that may already be too late.

Richard seems to believe that the costs of the Elected Mayor could be met by letting Steve Broomhead go. Given that Broomhead is the Returning Officer I don't expect an easy ride on the formalities of the petition as might, for example, be represented by allowing online representations (the law leaves that choice up to councils, I believe).

Based on the cost of the by-election caused by Faisal Rashid becoming an MP, which was estimated at £17k for 9000 electors, the borough must have 7919*20 approx. 158k electors so the referendum costs would seem to be about £300k.

The original question from Gary was are there sufficient supporters to get a referendum, and I don't think there are. My reasons are that without the enthusiastic support of the parties the task of gathering signatures and then checking that people not actually on the register are discarded may be too great an organisational  challenge. It means that gathering signature in shopping centres is not a good way to work. The consequence of that will not suit the folk who make their views known on social media at all as it requires knocking on doors on wet nights. It is possible but I will be surprised if it happens.

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£300k for little if any benefit is a lot of wasted dosh and choosing the exec as it is at least is drmocratic,  I wouldn't want the cabinet being drawn from all the parties equally in Parliament, a recipe for disaster.  I do feel it's an attempt by the small minority parties to grasp a few more morsels from the table as they can't get them via elections . Does anyone know of Buttreys political persuasions and pals?

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17 hours ago, Bazj said:

Even Manchester had to "import" a scouser (well nearly) as their mayor.... how would that sit with Observers plans for "local jobs for local people" I wonder :)

Not "observer's plan" Baz; the idea has been around for a long time, in all Parties and generally termed "localism";  many trade unions, especially in the building industry have had policy aspirations for the priority employment of "local labour". So when the snowflakes vote Jeremy into No10, the idea may get resurrected.  With recent reports on how much time and money traffic congestion is causing road users, one wonders how some tenders could be cheaper than local one's; not to mention the environmental impact of vehicle pollution.     :ph34r:

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 10/02/2018 at 1:05 PM, observer said:

Not "observer's plan" Baz; the idea has been around for a long time, in all Parties and generally termed "localism";  many trade unions, especially in the building industry have had policy aspirations for the priority employment of "local labour". So when the snowflakes vote Jeremy into No10, the idea may get resurrected.  With recent reports on how much time and money traffic congestion is causing road users, one wonders how some tenders could be cheaper than local one's; not to mention the environmental impact of vehicle pollution.     :ph34r:

There are many reasons why out of town contractors can be cheaper than local ones, the primary thing being overheads. A company in London with offices with huge rents can be on the back foot from the start. Other national companies use preferred contractors to manage their whole estate of sites regardless of where they may be in the country

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No doubt, there are specialist niche skills that fall into that scenario Baz;  but in terms of general labour requirements, local would seem preferable if folk are serious about traffic congestion and pollution.  Mind you, I suppose employers can now bring in gangs in from the EU at cheaper rates, thanks to free movement.      :ph34r:

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