Ministers may put off votes on local mayors

Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles revealed he is considering a suggestion by ex-Labour Minister Andrew Adonis to hold referenda in Leeds, Birmingham and Bristol next May before letting people have their say in eight other cities – including Sheffield, Wakefield and Bradford – the following year.

Until now, the Government has insisted all 11 referenda will take place on the same day in 2012 as Ministers push for more cities to choose elected mayors, which they believe are more accountable and can be more effective than the current system.

But Mr Pickles said he was “considering” the report given to him by Lord Adonis, which suggested staggering the referenda to give the other cities a chance to see the mayoral model working before they vote. If Leeds votes for an elected mayor next May, Lord Adonis suggests holding elections next September.

“I think it’s fair to say we’re thinking about whether we should phase or not,” said Mr Pickles. “I’m beginning to see delegations of people within cities in favour of a mayor so I think the prospects of seeing mayors have increased.”

The idea of putting elected mayors in charge of Yorkshire’s major cities has been controversial, with many local politicians being vehemently opposed to the idea.

While Ministers hail the example of London’s Mayor as an example of how the role can work, they admit that other experiences such as in Doncaster have been less successful.