The government has confirmed that it will attempt to block Plymouth’s democratic choice to elect a Mayor, even if residents vote YES in the referendum on Thursday 17 July for the right to choose their own leader.
The news has sparked outrage, with many accusing ministers of trampling over democracy and ignoring the potential wishes of the majority of Plymouth citizens.
In a written statement, Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution Jim McMahon MP has confirmed that the inaugural election of a Mayor of Plymouth will be postponed to May 2027 instead of May 2026 should the people of Plymouth decide to choose their own leader.
The statement continues, laying out that the Labour government will push to legislate and standardise the 'Leader and Cabinet model' - the current governance structure used by Plymouth and through which Tudor Evans leads.
The Leader and Cabinet model is currently being challenged through the 17th July referendum. If the Yes vote is successful, the model could be replaced with a with a Mayoral system, where the Directly Elected Mayor is the leader.
The government singles out Plymouth in its statement, agreeing that other Mayors introduced before the legislation is passed will be allowed to continue - except for Plymouth.
This could mean that even if the people of Plymouth vote YES, the government may not allow their decision to be acted upon.
The referendum was supposed to give Plymouth residents the final say on how their city should be governed. But now many are questioning whether the Labour government will allow their votes to count at all.
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