AS the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition takes power in Westminster people in Southampton are to be asked whether they want an all powerful elected city mayor.

Councillors have launched a consultation that could put civic decision making largely in the hands of one individual after elections next year.

The public will be quizzed on the idea this summer but councillors will make the final decision in September. However if enough voters – currently 8,626 – sign up to a petition they could force a referendum.

By law Southampton councillors must formally consult by the end of the year on whether to keep the current leader and Cabinet system of governing the city. Or agree to change to having a directly elected mayor – elected for four years under the first past the post system – who appoints a Cabinet of at least two councillors.

Councillors will also decide whether to stop electing the council in thirds and switch to all-out elections every four years.

Civic chiefs have not yet decided how the public will be quizzed but suggestions of an opinion poll or survey have been ruled out. Councillors avoided debating the issues when they launched the statutory consultation, insisting it was for another day.

Deputy council leader Royston Smith said his ruling Conserva-tive group, who hold 28 of the 48 seats, had not decided whether or not to back a mayor.

He said: “Some people are vehemently opposed, some people are in favour. There is no consensus. The popularity of the concept comes and goes. When you’ve got stable governance the elected mayor doesn’t seem as important.”

Cllr Smith, who lost out in his battle with John Denham to become a city MP by just 192 votes, said he doubted there was “a great deal of appetite” for an elected mayor but also refused to rule himself out of any future contest.

There are 12 directly-elected mayors in England, including the Mayor of London Boris Johnson. The Conservative Party has proposed a referendum for an elected mayor in 12 of the country’s largest cities.

Professor of politics and governance at the University of Southampton Gerry Stoker said the main arguments for an elected mayor were it created visible leadership and raised the profile of local politics often in a less partisan way.

But he said the records of mayors had been mixed. “They may be brilliant but they may be daft as a brush”, he said.

Mr Stoker said there was also a risk that substantial issues could be sidelined for more populist measures.

Would you like an elected mayor?

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