What's all this elected mayors rubbish?
Discussion
Listening to Radio 4 earlier, they were talking about plans for a referendum in various English cities (assuming Wakefield even is a city???).
What sort of drugs are the politicians on here?
So potentially Brummies, Scallies, Bristolians and whatever you call people from Wakefield have some absurd cosmetic change to their council leadership, presumably so our illustrious leaders can tell us about the wonderful job they're doing to ensure fair representation for the English at a time when polls suggest more of us support Scottish independence than do the Scots themselves, whilst conveniently overlooking the fact that those of us who aren't Wakefieldonians end up with an even more bizarre, unbalanced form of government!
Stupid bloody notion!
What sort of drugs are the politicians on here?
So potentially Brummies, Scallies, Bristolians and whatever you call people from Wakefield have some absurd cosmetic change to their council leadership, presumably so our illustrious leaders can tell us about the wonderful job they're doing to ensure fair representation for the English at a time when polls suggest more of us support Scottish independence than do the Scots themselves, whilst conveniently overlooking the fact that those of us who aren't Wakefieldonians end up with an even more bizarre, unbalanced form of government!
Stupid bloody notion!
Wants to get rid of councillors
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Davies_%28polit...
Mayor of Doncaster
Davies' mayoral campaign had called for harsher punishments for "young thugs", withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of council translation services, a reduction in the number of Doncaster councillors, and for local schools to opt out of local authority control.[7] Once elected, Davies was interviewed on BBC Radio Sheffield and Look North where the interviewers questioned the legality and achievability of his manifesto promises.
One of Davies' first decisions was to announce a cut in his annual salary from £73,000 to £30,000. He is an opponent of political correctness who pledged to stop funding the town's gay pride event, although organisers maintained that the event brought business to Doncaster. Later, he confirmed the event for 2009 would be funded as arranged before his election. He has also pledged to end and reverse town twinning as a waste of money, joking that he would use his two words of German to tell a visiting delegation Auf Wiedersehen (goodbye). He also insists he is "not conned by global warming" and has described climate change as "a scam"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Davies_%28polit...
Mayor of Doncaster
Davies' mayoral campaign had called for harsher punishments for "young thugs", withdrawal from the European Union, withdrawal of council translation services, a reduction in the number of Doncaster councillors, and for local schools to opt out of local authority control.[7] Once elected, Davies was interviewed on BBC Radio Sheffield and Look North where the interviewers questioned the legality and achievability of his manifesto promises.
One of Davies' first decisions was to announce a cut in his annual salary from £73,000 to £30,000. He is an opponent of political correctness who pledged to stop funding the town's gay pride event, although organisers maintained that the event brought business to Doncaster. Later, he confirmed the event for 2009 would be funded as arranged before his election. He has also pledged to end and reverse town twinning as a waste of money, joking that he would use his two words of German to tell a visiting delegation Auf Wiedersehen (goodbye). He also insists he is "not conned by global warming" and has described climate change as "a scam"
Actually I think elected mayors are a good idea.
Most people vote for the same party as they do in the general election. They have no idea what the differences in policy at a local level are between the various parties and most people probably couldn't tell you what party currently controls their area.
A major on the other hand is relatively easy to ascribe policies to and to hold to account when those policies are not delivered.
Most people vote for the same party as they do in the general election. They have no idea what the differences in policy at a local level are between the various parties and most people probably couldn't tell you what party currently controls their area.
A major on the other hand is relatively easy to ascribe policies to and to hold to account when those policies are not delivered.
So apparently just 10% of the population of Salford voted 'Yes' (total of 17,000 votes), whilst 8% (13,000) voted no and as a result Salford will now elect their Mayor.
The guy who has been pushing for this (I believe is a Lib Dem) is clearly not a full shilling. I'll try and find the video of his reaction to the result.
It's here I think. http://www.itv.com/granada/
The guy who has been pushing for this (I believe is a Lib Dem) is clearly not a full shilling. I'll try and find the video of his reaction to the result.
It's here I think. http://www.itv.com/granada/
Edited by Oakey on Friday 27th January 18:11
Speaking (well, typing) as a resident of the city of Wakefield (yes, well, someone has to live here) I have mixed views. I have no doubt that it will cost us money. But then again they have just spend £33M on a sculpture gallery and £11M on a swimming pool, when £500K would have repaired the old Art Deco one.
The council has been a Labour stronghold since the year dot, and it is my opinion that this particular old boys/girls club is run along the same lines as an Italian city. Perhaps, just perhaps, having an elected independent mayor will help to upset their little club. I doubt it too, but I think we have to give it a go.
The council has been a Labour stronghold since the year dot, and it is my opinion that this particular old boys/girls club is run along the same lines as an Italian city. Perhaps, just perhaps, having an elected independent mayor will help to upset their little club. I doubt it too, but I think we have to give it a go.
WhoseGeneration said:
France, Mayors have power, at the local level.
Here, well, it would appear to be somewhat of a PR exercise.
Indeed. And that is why French mayors are fundamentally crooks. Here, well, it would appear to be somewhat of a PR exercise.
Give a monkey some local powers and he'll be stocked up with brown envelopes in no time.
Hold a competition to find who wants to put themselves forward for the position and then execute the lot of them.
Zad said:
Speaking (well, typing) as a resident of the city of Wakefield (yes, well, someone has to live here) I have mixed views. I have no doubt that it will cost us money. But then again they have just spend £33M on a sculpture gallery and £11M on a swimming pool, when £500K would have repaired the old Art Deco one.
Well we are living in times of austerity old chap, what do you want, them to spend £66 millions on a gallery, that would be madness, sheer madness!
I live in the USA, where Democratically elected mayors are in many cities. They can be a positive force in that they can hire and fire at will, but they can also mismanage the City to the point of bankruptcy or state intervention.
Really the prerequisites for being an elected official ought to be that they are over 40 and a Chartered Accountant, they they might be able to strike that fine balance between what the people want and what they are prepared to pay for. It seems that many councils pay more attention to the views of people who pay nothing and not the 90% who do.
I think a fundamental issue in Britain is the lack of transparency in where the tax money is spent. Fix that and let people be outraged by the total wastefulness and you can make the system work with or without an elected mayor.
Really the prerequisites for being an elected official ought to be that they are over 40 and a Chartered Accountant, they they might be able to strike that fine balance between what the people want and what they are prepared to pay for. It seems that many councils pay more attention to the views of people who pay nothing and not the 90% who do.
I think a fundamental issue in Britain is the lack of transparency in where the tax money is spent. Fix that and let people be outraged by the total wastefulness and you can make the system work with or without an elected mayor.
Halb said:
Zad said:
Speaking (well, typing) as a resident of the city of Wakefield (yes, well, someone has to live here) I have mixed views. I have no doubt that it will cost us money. But then again they have just spend £33M on a sculpture gallery and £11M on a swimming pool, when £500K would have repaired the old Art Deco one.
Well we are living in times of austerity old chap, what do you want, them to spend £66 millions on a gallery, that would be madness, sheer madness!How on earth can these sums arise? A friend of mine had a modest swimming pool built at his house for about £9,000, and another guy I know got a big one at his resort a couple of years ago for a little over £20,000 if I remember rightly. Ok I'm sure this one is bigger, better equipped and so forth, but really £11 million??? It's just a hole in the ground with some water.
AJS- said:
The trouble is of course £500K wouldn't have repaired the old one, because whenever any organ of the British government does anything you can add another 3 zeroes to the final cost as a starting point. £500K wouldn't have covered the Risk Assessment. It wouldn't have got them an Environmental Impact Assessment, Muslim-friendly changing rooms or a wheelchair ramp up on to the diving board.
How on earth can these sums arise? A friend of mine had a modest swimming pool built at his house for about £9,000, and another guy I know got a big one at his resort a couple of years ago for a little over £20,000 if I remember rightly. Ok I'm sure this one is bigger, better equipped and so forth, but really £11 million??? It's just a hole in the ground with some water.
It's utter madness isn't it. Across the whole UK for decades we've been throwing borrowed money away like this. How on earth can these sums arise? A friend of mine had a modest swimming pool built at his house for about £9,000, and another guy I know got a big one at his resort a couple of years ago for a little over £20,000 if I remember rightly. Ok I'm sure this one is bigger, better equipped and so forth, but really £11 million??? It's just a hole in the ground with some water.
It makes you sick.
It's all the more strange just how mental Yorkshire has gone on these projects. So much for it being the English bastion of common sense when it came to money.
My great uncle was a mayor of Wakefield and the family ran the local confectioners, grocers and tea shop. The place used to be run by Quakers. It's clearly changed a little.
Talksteer said:
Actually I think elected mayors are a good idea.
Most people vote for the same party as they do in the general election. They have no idea what the differences in policy at a local level are between the various parties and most people probably couldn't tell you what party currently controls their area.
A major on the other hand is relatively easy to ascribe policies to and to hold to account when those policies are not delivered.
Surely if no one in the local area knows which party is in power or what the policies are at a local level then the answer would be a lot more publicity for these policies not another wage for some self important monkey with delusions of grandeur.Most people vote for the same party as they do in the general election. They have no idea what the differences in policy at a local level are between the various parties and most people probably couldn't tell you what party currently controls their area.
A major on the other hand is relatively easy to ascribe policies to and to hold to account when those policies are not delivered.
We already have to many layers of government (national, county, local and then sometimes parish) all taking their cut of our taxes and watering down policies, we don't need another layer with all the associated costs like salary, an office complete with staff, a car and then 'allowances'.
Halb said:
Just done a quick search, A. Gillgan must be his biggest fan?
Gilligan is a journalist who likes multiculturalism in the UK about as much as the average PH-er does, and isn't afraid to say it. The state of politics in Tower Hamlets is one area he speaks about often. Another journo with a similar outlook is Ted Jeory, and his blog focuses solely on Tower Hamlets. Here's a description from his blog about goings-on in the council chamber, under our directly elected mayor.
A deeply depressing read.
Oli.
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