Are Elected Mayors making a difference?

March 16, 2006

A new collection of essays published today by independent think tank the New Local Government Network (NLGN) concludes that elected mayors are improving local democratic engagement with the local media and the public, and are a stronger focal point for business and inward investors, acting as decision-makers for the whole community and not simply for council services.



Including essays from a number of the established mayors – Steve Bullock in Lewisham, Robin Wales in Newham, Dorothy Thornhill in Watford and Stuart Drummond in Hartlepool – Mayors making a difference reveals how elected Mayors are demonstrating leadership and communicating with the electorate. Editor of the collection Kiran Dhillon states that:



“The quicker pace of decision-making and their strategic view across their locality means mayors are having a positive impact on service delivery”



Contributors to the NLGN collection include the mayors of Bedford, Doncaster, Hartlepool, Lewisham, Newham, Stoke-on-Trent and Watford. Writing in his essay, Mayor Steve Bullock of Lewisham notes:



“69% of Lewisham’s residents think the Council is doing a good job – the third consecutive year this figure has increased and one which is now 5% above the London average. Recognition of the Mayor is at an all time high – at 38% in November 2005, compared to 16% two years previously”



Elsewhere, Mayor Sir Robin Wales reflects that public priorities are given added impetus by elected Mayors:



“I am already answerable to the electorate for community safety: I know I’m judged on it even though I have limited room to act. That’s why Newham has seen a transformation in community safety…that could only be achieved through mayoral governance”



And Mayor Dorothy Thornhill in Watford observes:



“One of the problems of local democracy in Britain is the way in which (local) elections become a verdict on the popularity of the national government…This can be corrected by a direct mayoral election. Candidates have to talk about how they will run the council, what their priorities are and what policies they will pursue.”



Meanwhile, the only current city mayor outside London, Mark Meredith in Stoke-on-Trent writes in the report’s foreword about the positive impact that mayors can have on regeneration and economic development:



“Partner organisations also welcome the mayoral position and this has been very much the case in Stoke-on-Trent. Regeneration has been extremely successful over the last few months. With a Mayor promoting the city and bringing the agencies together, considerable funds and expertise has been brought in.”



In a concluding chapter, Ms Dhillon considers the lessons from the Mayoral experience that can be transferred to other form of local leadership, stating:



‘these essays pick up on some of the unique features of mayoral governance. It is clear, however, that some of the lessons are transferable to other types of political leadership, for example, directly elected cabinets and city region-mayors’



Media enquiries James Hulme on 020 7357 0116


Notes for Editors:



The New Local Government Network (NLGN) is an independent think tank, seeking to transform public services, revitalise local political leadership and empower local communities. www.nlgn.org.uk



Mayors making a difference – An NLGN collection edited by Kiran Dhillon is available from NLGN, price £12 (plus £1.25 p&p) at info@nlgn.org.uk


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