Councillors in South East oppose introducing elected mayors

A poll of 275 councillors from all parties across the South East found 69 per cent are opposed to having elected mayors in the region.

Roy Perry, chairman of South East England Councils said: “As ministers plan their approach on the Devolution White Paper, this poll serves as a stark reminder on the importance of local identities, communities and links.

“Each English region is different – what works in one may not be best for another. In the populous South East, local councils have risen to the challenges brought about by Covid-19, by continuing to provide essential services to residents and leading on local recovery efforts.

“No one is saying no devolution. England remains one of the most centralised nations so there is a need to bring real powers and responsibilities closer to local areas.

“However, that has to be sustainable devolution to empower local representatives with genuine autonomy on fiscal matters and policy competencies – rather than create remote mayoral figures always dependent on handouts from Whitehall.”

The current Mayor of Brighton and Hove is Councillor Alan Robins. The mayor is the first citizen of the city and undertakes a ceremonial role which is different from some mayors and lord mayors, such as the elected Mayor of London.

The mayor of Brighton and Hove is not directly elected by the people and therefore holds no direct power.

A ‘metro’ mayor is a directly elected leader of a combined authority, which was introduced under the Government’s Cities and Local Government Devolution Act in 2016.