Directly Elected Mayors: A Thoroughly Bad Idea says Seeff

10.33.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 3rd Sep 2009

Geoff Seeff explains the dangers of directly elected executive mayors

All councils are now being required to consult with residents as to whether they would like the system of directly elected executive mayors, introduced as an option for local governance in 2002, extended to their borough. Both Redbridge and Waltham Forest will be undertaking the consultation. Worryingly, councils can start the process for appointing a directly elected mayor without the need for a referendum, a requirement under the original act.

The Liberal Democrats have consistently opposed the idea from the outset because it concentrates too much power in individuals and, without the necessary checks and balances, which are not in place under the present legislation, can, and probably will in due course, lead to abuse. In letters to the local Guardian and Recorder newspapers Geoff Seeff, the prospective parliamentary candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green, has explained the dangers and urged readers to respond to their respective councils' consultations with an unequivocal rejection of the proposals.

As is often the case the letters were heavily edited (although if the published text of the letters as they appeared in each of the newspapers is combined, most of the points are covered). The full text of the letter to the Waltham Forest Guardian follows below:-

"Whilst the cabinet system of local authority governance has its drawbacks, council leaders selected by their fellow councillors are obliged to seek reasonable consensus. Moreover, as we have recently seen here in Redbridge, those colleagues, and indeed members from other parties, can rein in leaders or kick them out if they do not listen or are simply not up to the job.

Directly elected executive mayors ("DEEMs"), despite the ostensibly "democratic" process by which they are appointed, will do nothing to improve local democracy and can offer no guarantee that services will be of better quality or delivered more efficiently. Under present legislation and with only a remit to scrutinise, it is very difficult for councillors to contain the excesses or even genuine mistakes of DEEMs. And, unless they are proven guilty of outright fraud or corruption, it is virtually impossible to remove them from office.

It is true that there is one DEEM success story, that of Mayor Dorothy Thornhill in Watford, as it happens a Liberal Democrat, but the experience in most of the other 11 authorities which opted for DEEMs has been disastrous. Residents in 4 of those authorities are running campaigns to try to revert to their previous systems.

Running a Council is not monkey business

Space of a letters page does not permit me to analyse what has worked and what has not. Suffice it to say that Dorothy Thornhill has endeavoured to carry out her duties inclusively whilst H'Angus the Monkey (aka Stephen Drummond) of Hartlepool, elected, and indeed, re-elected with a significant majority that reflected residents' combined contempt for all politicians together with their desperation for a declining town, has been completely out of his depth and has achieved very little in 7 years of office.

Of course the real danger lies in the variable qualities of the individuals that offer themselves for election and how they might use or abuse the absolute power that is then vested in them. Waltham Forest I am sure has a number of politically independent "celebrities" who would have a popular following were they to stand - but who would not necessarily have the managerial competence to oversee an annual expenditure budget of nearly £900 million and a staff of around 7,000 persons. Worse than that, however, there could be considerable damage to community relations if an extremist political figure were to, somehow, to secure the position.

Frustrated at the low take up of DEEMs, the Labour Government now requires all local authorities to consult with their residents on the matter. However, it should be noted that, if the majority party on a council wishes to create such a post, it is no longer obliged to hold a referendum before proceeding as was the case under the original legislation. One of the few Tory policies so far revealed by David Cameron is his intention to establish DEEMs in 12 major cities were he to form the next Government.

In fact there is some voluble dissent on DEEMs within both Labour and Tory ranks but, notwithstanding Watford, only the Liberal Democrats as a party have consistently opposed the measure from the outset. I urge readers to join with us by responding to the consultation and letting the council know in no uncertain terms that imposing a DEEM in Waltham Forest would be a thoroughly bad idea".