Thursday, August 14, 2008
Mayor revisited
The Welsh Lobbyist draws our attention to a post on the Institute of Welsh Affairs blog supposedly responding to criticisms of their proposal for a Mayor to run the South Wales Valleys. The problem is that they are very selective in what they are prepared to answer.
For example they do not attempt to deal with my points in this post that such a figurehead would erode accountable and transparent democracy. I also asked what role the IWA would envisage for the Welsh Assembly Government in such a set-up and questioned whether the turnout figures for London justified their assertion that an elected mayor would better 'engage voters'.
The suggestion by the IWA that their idea had rocked the boat amongst the establishment is just ludicrous. If it did rock the boat then that is only because we were laughing so much.
For example they do not attempt to deal with my points in this post that such a figurehead would erode accountable and transparent democracy. I also asked what role the IWA would envisage for the Welsh Assembly Government in such a set-up and questioned whether the turnout figures for London justified their assertion that an elected mayor would better 'engage voters'.
The suggestion by the IWA that their idea had rocked the boat amongst the establishment is just ludicrous. If it did rock the boat then that is only because we were laughing so much.
Comments:
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you have a sense of humour Peter!
'because we are laughing so much'...
Yeah, I agree the Mayor is a non-democratic and anachronistic gimmick idea. He/she would just be stepping on democratically elected members feet all the time..
'because we are laughing so much'...
Yeah, I agree the Mayor is a non-democratic and anachronistic gimmick idea. He/she would just be stepping on democratically elected members feet all the time..
I understand your misgivings but I wonder whether the lib dems have a policy on elected Mayors. I know that you have actively supported it in places like Watford, and there is, or was, a Lib dem mayor in that position.
Our policy is opposed to directly elected Mayors. Obviously where they are in place we will contest the position.
thanks for the link, im glad im not the only one who thinks it was a bit selective.
# posted by 
: 10:17 PM
: 10:17 PM
Digressing from ELECTED Mayors into the subject of Civic Mayors. Perhaps "Bethan" (Bethan Jenkins AM, Plaid Cymru) can explain why her party prevented the election of a recent Deputy Lord Mayor at Swansea to the position of Lord Mayor purely out of sheer malice and spite, voting instead for a no hoper UKIP Candidate. This was unprecedented and it was all down to Plaid Cymru's dirty politics.
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