ELECTED MAYOR SYSTEM IN TORBAY CONTRADICTS IPPR REPORT

9.41.40am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 23rd Apr 2008

Commenting on the report from the 'Institute for Public Policy Research' which recommends an elected Mayor for every City and Town in England, the Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Torbay Council Cllr Steve Darling said:

"The report from the Institute for Public Policy Research claims that Elected Mayors have the potential to "reinvigorate local politics" and have "clearer accountability." In Torbay the opposite has happened.

"The turnout for the Mayoral election in 2005 was a frighteningly low 24%, whilst the elections for local councillors last year was 36%. Quite clearly having an elected Mayor has not reinvigorated politics in Torbay.

"In Torbay we have been poorly served by the elected Mayor, with less accountability, and not more, with decisions increasingly taken behind closed doors. The Council is now increasingly disconnected from the public. The fact that, in 4 weeks, an online petition against the Elected mayor has already had over 1,000 signatures suggests that local people are not too happy with the elected Mayor system.

"I have misgivings about this report - particularly as the report recommends that Torbay should have an elected Mayor. Either they do not realise that Torbay already has an elected Mayor or our Mayor has had very little impact! I also note that a large number of the IPPR's trustees are supporters of the Labour Party so it is perhaps not surprising that their report is supportive of a Labour Party policy. Other reports on elected Mayors from more independent organisations have found the performance of the elected mayor system to be more mixed."