Latest news with #PlymouthKnowsBetter
ITV News
6 days ago
- Politics
- ITV News
Plymouth votes against directly elected mayor model in historic referendum
Plymouth has voted against moving to a directly elected mayor model following an historic referendum. The city will continue to be run by a council leader and cabinet, after narrowly voting to maintain the status quo. Turnout in the referendum was 19.1 per cent. A total of 19,840 people voted in favour of the 'leader' model; 18,044 opted for the mayor choice. Charlotte Holloway, who led the 'Plymouth Knows Better' campaign, said: 'This was a rejection of the failed city mayor model. Today Plymothians have shown that it won't work here. 'This was always a pointless referendum, it cost £410,000, that's money we all want to see spent on children in care, on filling our potholes. 'Plymouth is a marginal city. I don't see this as a movement or a momentum or a swelling of discontent. I would describe this more as a murmur. 'We've got to look forward, we're a city on the up, the hard work continues.' 'Democracy has been trampled on' The Government plans to introduce legislation which would stop the creation of new city mayors, while accepting the continuation of 13 existing mayors. Angus Forbes, who led the pro-mayor campaign, said: 'We accept the result, we trust the process. But democracy has been trampled on over the past few months. 'We came up against the full might of the Labour party, local MPs and Westminster. Our team worked extremely hard. There is a desire for change and change is coming. This is the first step. 'Janners are great people, they are resilient people and they want change.' 'Dead end' Luke Pollard, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said: 'This referendum was always a dead end, and I'm pleased Plymouth has rejected this costly, failed experiment. It was clear from the start that it would never lead to a city mayor for Plymouth. 'I told Mr Forbes last year that this model was being scrapped, and yet he pushed ahead regardless. 'At a time when our city needs every penny focused on frontline services - on social care, helping kids in care, and filling our potholes - £410,000 has been wasted on a vote that changes nothing.' Fred Thomas, Labour MP for Plymouth Moor View, said: 'I am really pleased that the people of Plymouth have voted to reject this model that has been tried, tested and failed across the country. We now need to move on and put the division behind us. 'This referendum was a waste of time, money, and energy. The government has already made clear that no new city mayors will be created – the referendum was pointless. 'I know that people want to see change in Plymouth and that is why they may have voted for a Mayor, I want to see change too. But this referendum was never going to deliver it – so let's move on and work together to make our city an even better place to live.'
BBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Plymouth rejects directly-elected mayor in referendum
People in Plymouth have rejected a directly-elected city mayor model in a of the campaign against the introduction of a city mayor said the people of Plymouth "knew better" and the city was "on the up", as Plymouth Council said turnout was 19.1%.Even if there had been a vote for a city mayor, the government had previously stepped in to postpone any election until May 2027 and said it would scrap the introduction of any new directly-elected city mayors before Forbes, the millionaire Australian businessman who funded the campaign for a mayor, said "democracy has been trampled on" and that many people in Plymouth thought the referendum had been cancelled. Under a directly-elected mayor system the council would have been run by the mayor, rather than the current system where the council is run by the leader, an elected councillor chosen by other referendum was triggered by a petition with more than 10,000 signatures calling for change. Nearly 200,000 people were eligible to vote and Plymouth City Council said the turnout was 19.11%.Charlotte Holloway, a Labour councillor and one of the co-organisers of the Plymouth Knows Better campaign against a directly-elected mayor, said: "Plymouth really does know better."People saw straight through this failed, costly experiment and they made that known at the ballot box."This referendum was always a waste of time and public money. Voter turnout was one of the lowest Plymouth has ever seen - not because people didn't care, but because they knew it was pointless." 'Frustration' Forbes, who is married to former Strictly Come Dancing judge Darcey Bussell, said: "Democracy was absolutely trampled on - let's make that absolutely clear."When you have intervention and frustration by Westminster as aggressive as it was - a lot of Plymothians thought this was cancelled."The businessman said his campaign had "come very close" and he was proud of what he described as "a grassroots initiative". The city mayor referendum in Plymouth was completely separate from the moves towards introducing more strategic mayors around the country, like those that exist in Greater Manchester and the West part of its local government reorganisation the government is abolishing district and county councils in favour of unitary unitary authorities are then expected to work together as strategic authorities with directly-elected mayors who would have increased powers in areas such as planning and in Devon said at first they would like to create a strategic authority with Cornwall but councillors in Cornwall rejected that possibility.
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor campaign threatens action against government
The Mayor for Plymouth (MfP) campaign says it will take the government to high court over an announcement there will no be a directly-elected mayor for the city. The government announced on Tuesday that the creation of new elected mayor roles would be discontinued to "simplify local government and support democratic accountability for local people". The Plymouth Knows Better (PKB) - No to a City Mayor coalition, welcomed the news, but MfP said it betrayed "democracy". A referendum on how the city is run was confirmed before the announcement, and is still set to take place on 17 July after a petition reached more than 10,000 signatures on the issue of the £75,000-per-year role. MfP campaign leader Angus Forbes said the government had betrayed "democracy, current legislation and the people of Plymouth". He said: "HM Government is willing to put the suffering of tens of thousands of its citizens to the side, in pursuit of the retention of political power. "Plymothians want change, they want better democracy, they want their voice to be heard. "The 13,800 Plymothians who signed the petition for change did so under current legislation." More news stories for Devon Listen to the latest news for Devon Mr Forbes said the MfP still intended "to win" the referendum to grant its first mayor for May 2026. He said: "If HM Government tries to stop us on the grounds of some prospective legislation, we will see them in the high court, where we will win. "The final check and balance of a government's power is always the people, and it is this union of the people of Plymouth that will prevail against authoritarianism, fear and intimidation." The MfP added that the referendum would take place under current law, "not prospective law that had not yet been passed". Peter Gold, campaign manager for Plymouth Deserves Better, said it felt the government was "overruling local democracy". "Local people, if we make a choice to vote for a mayor, the government overruling that is just basically cancelling democracy," he said. Jemima Laing, deputy leader of Labour-led Plymouth City Council, said the leader of the MfP had been told the "direction the government was going". She said: "It was very clear from the devolution white paper which was published at the end of last year. "Angus Forbes can't say he wasn't told, can't say he didn't know and can't say he wasn't asked to stop. "The reason we are spending over £400,000 on a referendum in Plymouth is because Angus Forbes wouldn't take no for an answer." Follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@ Community resolution over council leader threat Directly-elected Plymouth city mayor role scrapped Date set for referendum on mayor for Plymouth UK Government Mayor for Plymouth
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Plymouth mayor campaign threatens legal action against government
The Mayor for Plymouth (MfP) campaign says it will take the government to high court over an announcement there will no be a directly-elected mayor for the government announced on Tuesday that the creation of new elected mayor roles would be discontinued to "simplify local government and support democratic accountability for local people".The Plymouth Knows Better (PKB) - No to a City Mayor coalition, welcomed the news, but MfP said it betrayed "democracy".A referendum on how the city is run was confirmed before the announcement, and is still set to take place on 17 July after a petition reached more than 10,000 signatures on the issue of the £75,000-per-year role. MfP campaign leader Angus Forbes said the government had betrayed "democracy, current legislation and the people of Plymouth". He said: "HM Government is willing to put the suffering of tens of thousands of its citizens to the side, in pursuit of the retention of political power. "Plymothians want change, they want better democracy, they want their voice to be heard. "The 13,800 Plymothians who signed the petition for change did so under current legislation." Mr Forbes said the MfP still intended "to win" the referendum to grant its first mayor for May said: "If HM Government tries to stop us on the grounds of some prospective legislation, we will see them in the high court, where we will win."The final check and balance of a government's power is always the people, and it is this union of the people of Plymouth that will prevail against authoritarianism, fear and intimidation."The MfP added that the referendum would take place under current law, "not prospective law that had not yet been passed".
