Councillors from Lewisham LBC last week rejected plans for a referendum into whether or not to keep their elected mayor.
A motion into holding a consultation on whether or not to have a referendum into the mayoral system was rejected by 28 votes to 24 at a council meeting.
The motion was brought by Liberal Democrat group leader, Mark Morris, and Green Party leader, Darren Johnson.
‘The motion was very modest and just called for a consultation to be started,’ said Cllr Morris.
Lewisham mayor, Steve Bullock, said: ‘It was a somewhat pointless excercise.
‘There is a Bill going through parliament which will change the options for councils and governance.’
Meanwhile, interest in standing as a mayor in England is growing. The lead singer of pop band Right Said Fred, Richard Fairbrass, has announced he wants to stand as an independent candidate for London mayor.
Birmingham City Football Club, Karren Brady, has reportedly said she might stand as a directly elected mayor in Birmingham if such a system was in place.
Protecting the public realm without shutting it down
As Martyn's Law approaches, this free special report from LocalGov and Hill & Smith sets out how councils can protect public spaces without shutting them down.
