Referendum won't force mayor out
Sir Peter Soulsby will see out his four-year term as elected mayor of Leicester even if a petition succeeds in forcing a referendum to see if the post should be scrapped.
Businessman Callum McKeefery has launched a campaign to try to collect 12,000 names – five per cent of the city electorate – to trigger a vote on whether to dismantle the elected mayor system adopted by Leicester City Council in May last year. Mr McKeefery, who owns a bar and club in the city centre, is opposed to Sir Peter's plans to create a £4 million public plaza, called Jubilee Square, in St Nicholas Circle.
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Yesterday, a spokeswoman for the Department of Communities and Local Government said that if the petition gathered enough valid signatures the earliest a referendum could be held would be May.
However, she said: "If there were a referendum and it returned a result to get rid of the elected mayoral system the current mayor would still see out his term until the next election in May, 2015."
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De Montfort University's local government professor Colin Copus said: "There is no way to get rid of Sir Peter Soulsby before the next election because he will remain even if the result goes against him.
"My impression is that this petition is motivated more against the individual rather than the system."
"In my opinion, it is far better to have a mayor directly elected by the people than an attenuated democracy where people vote for a bunch of councillors who they then hope will act as they wanted."
Mr McKeefery was unavailable for comment yesterday.
Meanwhile, a referendum in Hartlepool yesterday returned a vote to get rid of Stuart Drummond – the former football mascot H'angus the Monkey – who was elected in 2002.
Mr Drummond will serve the remaining six months of his term of office before the position is abolished.
Sir Peter said: "Getting rid of a monkey in the town of Hartlepool is very different to getting rid of a serious mayor in a big city like Leicester.
"The thing I am concerned about is the likely cost. If we have to have a referendum you are talking about £250,000. That is money the council wouldn't want to have to afford.
"On the other hand, if the people of the city want a referendum, I am happy to put the case for having a democratically-elected mayor rather than a council leader nobody has ever heard of."
www.leicesterpetition.co.uk
Comments
by joe-bloggs
Wednesday, November 21 2012, 3:43PM
“DB..well commented.That SO BLISTERY SUPER has been backed by COUNCILS OF OPPRESSOR is just another fondness of their mutual admiration .”
by kay633
Tuesday, November 20 2012, 7:56AM
“Likeitalot. the story is still still yet to break stay tuned.”
by LikeItaLot
Tuesday, November 20 2012, 2:38AM
“by kay633
Monday, November 19 2012, 4:48PM
."just not happy about the way the council go about raping people of there belongings and destroying religious and holy books by putting them in the tip"
.
Once again I ask what does this post mean? To use the word "raping" is appalling. And what is burning books all about? Have I missed some stories here”
by Bob491
Tuesday, November 20 2012, 12:14AM
“Are you standing behind him then?”
by LewisC109
Monday, November 19 2012, 10:46PM
“look in the mirror pete you will see the monkey”
by DBLeicester
Monday, November 19 2012, 7:53PM
“professor Colin Copus - "In my opinion, it is far better to have a mayor directly elected by the people than an attenuated democracy where people vote for a bunch of councillors who they then hope will act as they wanted."
For a professor this is quite a ridiculous comment to make. Firstly, it would be a fair argument to say that he isn't directly elected due to no referendum on Leicester appointing an elected Mayor. It was only once the elected Mayor system was thrust upon us all that the populace were given a 'democratic' choice. Secondly, as citizens, we also hoped that the elected Mayor would act as we wanted, as we do the government and councillors etc. - there is no or little difference.
In reality, this rarely happens as in a so called democratic society, the elected convince the electorate they are doing as promised, but normally this means lying through their back teeth and any mandate or manifesto may as well have been a book of blank pages.
Personal agendas and egos, as we have seen in Leicester with SPS, generally play a big part in delivering promise. The funny thing is, they're all the promises made by SPS for SPS.”
by democrat
Monday, November 19 2012, 6:17PM
“The scary thing that in Petes mind he IS very important and IS doing a good job
Those that can - do
Those that can't - get elected”
by Rob_1
Monday, November 19 2012, 6:05PM
“Sir Peter said: "Getting rid of a monkey in the town of Hartlepool is very different to getting rid of a serious mayor in a big city like Leicester"
Well he would say that wouldn't he, how can he call himself a serious Mayor with all the hairbrained schemes he has come up with. This city would be better of with Filbert Fox.”
by LikeItaLot
Monday, November 19 2012, 5:29PM
“kay633, could you please say a little more about what you mean by your post. It has lost me completely”
by disident3
Monday, November 19 2012, 5:02PM
“It is easier to remove vermin from your garden than remove a political agent of any party from the trough.”