Birmingham campaign failed to give people choice over elected mayors
Feb 7 2009 by Tony Collins, Birmingham Mail
THE Birmingham Mail campaign to allow the people of the city to decide whether or not it is run by an elected mayor came to an end last March when insufficient signatures were received.
People signed the petition in their thousands but it was still short of the massive total needed to force a people’s poll.
More than 36,000 city voters had to sign within a 12-month period to automatically trigger a binding referendum after Birmingham City Council had refused to voluntarily hold one.
The campaign was supported by community groups across the city, by leading business figures and many politicians from all parties, with numerous “action days” held and petition forms regularly printed in the Birmingham Mail.
Up to a third of the total was collected, but a ruthless verification system would have seen that number dramatically cut as signatures with incomplete details, those not on the electoral roll, those who have moved and those who live in areas such as Solihull and Smethwick were binned.
The campaign to let voters decide on elected mayors was supported by the Birmingham Citizens community group, the council’s Labour group, the Birmingham Association of Neighbourhood Forums, the Birmingham University Guild of Students and leading business groups.
Local business leader John James said: “This was unlike any other petition which people just sign a name or even fill in on-line.
“The people needed to sign by hand their full names, addresses and had to be registered voters living in Birmingham. To get in the region of 10,000 shows there is appetite for a referendum.”
Northfield MP Richard Burden added: “The Birmingham Mail’s campaign has focused attention on how our city should be run, not simply on which party should run it.
“On the big strategic issues, it is vital to build more effective leadership at city level.”
New rules have now been introduced in the wake of the campaign, making it easier to introduce elected mayors. Campaigners can now hold an electronic petition to boost the number of signatures needed.
