The debate over an elected mayor for Birmingham is not over, as far as the idea's supporters are concerned.

Proposals for elected mayors were defeated in nine out of the ten cities which held referendums on May 3. In Birmingham, 57.8 per cent of voters opposed a mayor with 42.2 per cent in favour, while 63.6 per cent voted against the idea in Coventry with just 36.4 per cent in favour.

But supporters of change insist local government in cities like Birmingham cannot continue as it is.

As we report in today's Birmingham Post, the city's "yes" campaign is to hold a meeting next month on the way forward. They hope to attract politicians, business leaders and other members of the public. A date has yet to be confirmed.

Read more http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/birmingham-post/news/jonathan_walker/~3/tfYp2H7LKOY/mayor-argument-continues-despi.html

An interesting article in today's Guardian says that two thirds of voters don't want elected mayors. It states: "The prime minister started the week by urging Britain's big cities to 'join the race' by creating a mayoralty through referendums set for 3 May, but a new Guardian/ICM poll suggests that David Cameron could fall at the starting line in these local ballots."

The reference to the Prime Minister follows a speech he delivered in Bristol on Monday, when he said: "I passionately want those cities - from right here in Bristol to Birmingham . . . to give a resounding, emphatic 'yes' next week." The Prime Minister added: "If you want your local champion speaking to the heart of government, banging their fist on the table for Birmingham, or Bristol or Leeds - get out and vote yes."

But I'd take the ICM poll with a small pinch of salt. Looking at the details (see table 10), it appears that a grand total of 308 people in the Midlands - east and west - were asked their opinion about a mayor. It's true that 64 per cent said they didn't want one, but how many of those came from Shrewsbury, Leicester or Stourbridge, and how many came from Birmingham or Coventry - two cities where referendums are taking place - is unclear.

Read more http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/birmingham-post/news/jonathan_walker/~3/c8sQaffW9_I/im-not-convinced-by-poll-predi.html

Labour mayoral hopeful Sion Simon has insisted that sitting MPs Liam Byrne and Gisela Stuart should be allowed to put themselves forward as rival potential candidates - but perhaps they should be asked to pay the costs of any by-election in their constituencies.

The full text of Mr Simon's comments, in an article written by him and published in today's Birmingham Post, is below.

Mr Simon is the former MP for Birmingham Erdington who stood down before the last election to concentrate on his campaign to become Birmingham's first directly-elected mayor. His first hurdle - if the city does vote yes to creating a mayor, in the referendum on May 3 - is to win the Labour nomination against rivals Liam Byrne and Gisela Stuart, who are the sitting MPs for Birmingham Hodge Hill and Birmingham Edgbaston respectively.

The battle appeared to be won when it emerged some senior Labour figures, reportedly including Harriet Harman, the Deputy Leader, were calling for sitting MPs to be banned from standing as mayors or police commissioners.

Read more http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/birmingham-post/news/jonathan_walker/~3/t-YeXEi07wg/sion-simon-i-oppose-ban-on-sit.html

Liam Byrne has won the endorsement of some of Labour's most impressive national figures in his bid to become mayor of Birmingham - as well as fulsome praise from party leader Ed Miliband.

The line up of supporters includes former foreign secretary David Miliband, former chancellor Alistair Darling and Peter Mandelson.

Their backing may help to cement his claim that he has the knowledge and the authority to stand up on a national and international stage and fight for Birmingham, thanks to his experience in government. His last job before the general election was as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, the second-in-command behind the Chancellor.

Read more http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/birmingham-post/news/jonathan_walker/~3/k_XkmUMZFDs/liam-byrne-mayor-bid-backed-by.html

Downing Street has published details of the "private" dinners hosted by the Prime Minister for Conservative Party donors, and it emerges that one of the first people to receive an invitation to Downing Street was Staffordshire businessman Sir Anthony Bamford, chair of JCB.

Sir Anthony and wife Carole, Lady Bamford, were guests at a dinner at 10 Downing Street on July 14 2010, along with 13 other people. His individual donations and donations from JCB come to more than £400,000 in total.

JCB also donated £25,000 to the "no" campaign opposing the alternative vote, and £7,500 to David Davis in 2005, apparently to help fund his party leadership bid (Mr Davis stood unsuccessfully gainst Mr Cameron).

Read more http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/birmingham-post/news/jonathan_walker/~3/tELthwyFJGo/jcb-chair-anthony-bamford-dona.html

Calls for Birmingham to be run by a directly-elected mayor will be debated when senior politicians gather in Birmingham this week.

Greg Clark, the Minister for Cities, will be one of the speakers at a debate on reforming the way Birmingham is governed.

Michael Heseltine, the former Deputy Prime Minister, will also be attending, as well as for Labour cabinet minister Lord Adonis.

Read more http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/birmingham-post/news/jonathan_walker/~3/nntTEt0f8-0/yes-or-no-to-a-mayor-invitiati.html

Lib Dem Business Secretary Vince Cable will continue to push for more property taxes in future budgets, he has said.

Speaking to regional newspapers following the Chancellor's Budget statement, he said he backed the cut in the highest rate of income tax from 50p to 45p because a range of other measures, such as increasing stamp duty on properties worth more than £2 million, means the rich will still pay may more in total (a claim Labour disputes).

But one thing that wasn't in the Budget was a full blown mansion tax of the sort he has been calling for. This would be an annual levy on properties worth more than £2 million, while stamp duty is only paid when a property is bought.

Read more http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/birmingham-post/news/jonathan_walker/~3/KCmqbmQaznM/vince-cable-still-wants-a-mans.html

Should a worker in Dudley receive less for doing the same job than one in central Birmingham?

That's the question posed by the Government's plans to introduce local pay across the country.

And it is local pay that George Osborne wants to introduce - not regional.

This weekend's papers were full of speculation that the Chancellor is set to speed up plans to introduce local pay in Wednesday's Budget - only for some of today's papers to report that Lib Dems have convinced him to delay the proposal.

Read more http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/birmingham-post/news/jonathan_walker/~3/iv0PKlRb3yc/dudley-workers-to-be-paid-less.html

Birmingham's mayoral contest risks becoming a massive headache for Ed Miliband after Labour's National Executive Committee ruled that any MP selected as a mayoral candidate for the party must stand down from the House of Commons.

It means Edgbaston MP Gisela Stuart could be ordered to quit as an MP, if she succeeds in her bid to become Labour's mayoral candidate.

That could mean a by-election in Edgbaston, a seat which Labour held with a majority of just 1,274 in 2010 - to the genuine astonishment of local Tories, who were confident of winning the former Conservative stronghold back.

Read more http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/birmingham-post/news/jonathan_walker/~3/QlW4eVoUvv0/headache-for-ed-miliband-as-la.html