Another elelction post - Boris and Mayors

[MickLL]

Difficult to post this and stay away from dangerous waters.

I was interested to see that Boris beat Ken for the London Mayor. The interest is because, although it was a tight run race, Boris bucked the national trend to Labour.

I can only think that there was quite a backlash against Mr. Livingstone.

I also found it very interesting that most of the cities where the question was asked rejected the idea of a directly elected mayor.

MickLL

[Malcolm_Stewart]

...
I also found it very interesting that most of the cities where the question was asked rejected the idea of a directly elected mayor.

MickLL

Local Mayor. This option wasn't on offer to us in Milton Keynes.

Perhaps I'm sceptical, but I feel that the Government may have got the result that it really wanted. By raising the issue it got a tick in a box, and then, by not providing any funds, power stays in much the same place as before, but they can say that we've had our chance. I can't believe that the back-room political experts advising the government weren't aware of what happens when a cause isn't supported with cash, or real commitment.

On a similar theme, I can't recall having a vote about the major changes in local and regional government some decades ago when the unitary & similar authorities came in, and age old county boundaries were swept away. Some people did very well out of those changes, so perhaps as always - "Follow the money".

[AGW]

I wonder what would have been the outcome if they had asked...Boris, Ken or none?

Graeme