Elected mayor referendums in four Yorkshire cities next May

Minister for decentralisation and cities Greg Clark told MPs he was pressing ahead with provisions for mayoral referendums on May 3, “subject to the approval of both Houses”.

Speaking during Commons questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Mr Clark said: “The Localism Act passed two weeks ago allows new powers to be devolved from central government to cities.

“Each city has been asked what additional powers it would like to take on under this new provision and I can announce to the House today, Mr Speaker, that I am laying before Parliament today draft orders to be made under the Localism Act which will provide, subject to the approval of both Houses, for mayoral referendums on the 3rd May 2012 in 11 cities: Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Coventry, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Wakefield.”

In response to a question from within his own party, Mr Clark added it was possible smaller cities could have referendums through a council resolution or petition.

Tory John Stevenson (Carlisle) said he was “concerned” that the emphasis seemed to be on elected mayors for the large cities and asked if the minister had any plans for the smaller cities to have referendums for elected mayors.

Mr Clark replied: “He will know that the coalition agreement committed us to introduce referenda for the largest cities, but it is possible for cities including his own to have referenda, either by resolution of the council or through a petition, which I think would require about 4,000 electors to sign in Carlisle.”