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 | | Tuesday, 18 December, 2001, 21:10 GMT Vote call for city's elected mayor  Some Birmingham councillors oppose a referendum The government is ready to force a referendum on whether Birmingham should have a directly-elected US-style mayor. Local Government Minister Nick Raynsford has announced the city council has been told the government is "minded" to require the city to hold a poll on what constitution the authority should have. In a consultative ballot in September on three options, the one which would not involve a directly-elected mayor received the highest vote score, 46.4%. But Mr Raynsford said there was 53.6% total support for the combination of the other two propositions, which both included an elected civic leader.
He said: "A very large number of people took part in the ballot and that increases the possibility, in our view, that if, in a referendum, people were given a clear choice between a mayoral option and a leader and cabinet option, the leader and cabinet would not be the most popular. "We have therefore indicated to Birmingham that we are minded to intervene to direct the referendum and are inviting representations from them to help us come to a final decision." More voting Birmingham City Council leader Albert Bore has made it clear he favours an elected mayor, but some councillors have expressed concern that it would concentrate too much power in the hands of one individual. So far six areas have backed having a directly elected mayor: Doncaster, Hartlepool, Lewisham, Middlesbrough, North Tyneside and Watford. Eight have opposed the idea: Berwick-upon-Tweed, Brighton and Hove, Durham City, Harrow, Kirklees, Redditch, Sedgefield and Sunderland. Referendums are due next month at Southwark in south London and in Plymouth and West Devon. | |   See also: Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top England stories now:  Links to more England stories are at the foot of the page. | |||||||||||||||||||
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