The Mayor for Plymouth campaign has released a detailed 82-page report that reveals the true cost and potential savings of introducing a Directly Elected Mayor in the city.
The findings are based on data obtained through Freedom of Information requests sent to thirteen councils across England, offering residents a clearer picture of how mayoral governance compares to the current system.
The report shows that Plymouth’s existing democratic structure costs taxpayers £2,035,583 per year. In 2024/25, councillors received £1,141,559 in allowances, with additional spending on expenses, elections and democratic support.
Notably, the Freedom of Information requests shine light on Tudor Evans’s own spending, including two full time “Executive Assistants” to support Cllr Evans and his deputy, Cllr Jemima Laing.
In comparison, the average cost of a directly elected mayor across the councils studied was £258,002 per year. This includes an allowance of around £79,838, which aligns with Plymouth City Council’s indicative figure of £75,000. The report points out that mayors cannot decide their own pay. Allowances are set by independent panels and must be approved by councillors.
Staff support for mayors typically costs £133,361 per year, though many teams already support multiple elected members. Plymouth currently spends £615,634 on democratic support staff, meaning that a mayor could be supported within existing budgets. Mayoral elections would add around £80,000 every four years, often timed alongside regular council elections.
The campaign's research also highlights savings made by other cities with elected mayors. Leicester removed senior council officers, Doncaster reduced its cabinet from nine to four, Bristol moved to all-out elections, and Tower Hamlets cut the number of councillors. If similar changes were made in Plymouth, the report estimates gross savings of £527,181 per year. After accounting for the cost of a mayor, net savings would be £249,179 annually.
The methodology behind the report is based on real-world spending figures, not estimates. The campaign submitted FOI requests to 13 councils to ensure its analysis was grounded in verified data rather than assumptions.
The campaign also investigated claims made by Labour-backed group Plymouth Knows Better, which has stated that a mayor would cost £1.5 million. A separate FOI request submitted to Plymouth City Council found that the authority does not hold any information to support this figure, despite it being shared by MPs Luke Pollard and Fred Thomas along with several Labour councillors.
The campaign says its report offers residents a chance to consider the facts before forming opinions on the city’s political future. By publishing a transparent breakdown of costs and potential savings, the group hopes to encourage informed discussion based on evidence.
You can view the full report now on the Mayor for Plymouth campaign website here.
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