An all-powerful mayor could be elected for a region stretching across the Black Country through Birmingham to Coventry under plans announced this afternoon by the Government.
The London-style mayor would, like Boris Johnson in the capital, be responsible for services across a huge area – and become the political head of the police.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said the Government was determined to see more directly-elected mayors in place, covering the major conurbations including the West Midlands.
The move will raise concerns that the Black Country boroughs could be swallowed by Birmingham. However, ministers and some local council leaders believe these boroughs must work hand in hand with Birmingham.
15 Comments
A splendid idea, the area could be known as Greater Birmingham.
Oh no not more beaurocracy. We have enough has it is.
Why? More taxpayers money to be wasted.
Let the great centralisation begin! It appears to be another shot at control by Government (if that term isn’t redundant).
Should be interesting to see how this proposal would suggest holding such a great poobah accountable…
Before we all decide to applaud rather loudly, lets find out of London and Stoke are any better off due to having independent Mayors !!!!
European style regional assemblies by the back door.
Please, please, please fight against this scheme with all your might. Here in Torbay we’ve had an elected mayor for nearly three years now, and the man’s tenure has been a total and unmitigated disaster for all the townsfolk of Torbay.
Old style Russia, we are now there thanks to the lily livered cowards called MPs, soon we will see names like Komandant or Hitler. Sorry he has been here in diguise since 1997
Get snouts out the trough party
Great News. Its about time we had more power passed down from Whitehall to the local level. This also gives the region one voice who can set priorities in policing and transport. May not have liked Ken Livingstone but you can’t argue that as an elected Mayor he got things done!
Where there are elected mayors there is no local democracy.
That is why ZanuLayba wants them.
An unacceptable dictator who cannot be removed and no means of challenging him because councillors, the only possible defence, have no say and no power.
this is stupid to even think that one mayor for the west Midlands whats happens to our mayor thats been doing his jobs for well over 200 years they are scraping bit by bit and selling it off to the highest bidder this is going way to crazy whats next !!! oh yeah more TAXES
Unlike London which is a number of boroughs all-in-one, the West Midlands has a diversity of towns and cities and to ‘lump them altoghter’ and be controlled by one mayor is preposterous! The suggestion could only come from London!
Do people from Coventry want to be the same as Walsall or Wolverhampton want to be the same as West Bromwich? Somehow I think not!
I hope local councillors send this idea back to London with a polite note attached…. stuff this idea where the sun doesn’t shine’!
Vote for me - I would do a great job
A mayor? Fine if they serve a useful purpose, unlike the majority of politicians.
Stuff Birmingham however - let’s move the Black Country out of the non-existent West Midlands County and back into Staffordshire where we belong!!!
A splendid idea, the area could be known as Greater Birmingham.
let’s move the Black Country out of the non-existent West Midlands County and back into Staffordshire where we belong!!!