The Referendum to decide how Plymouth is run IS going ahead this Thursday (July 17) despite announcements from the Government.
Today, the man behind the Mayor for Plymouth campaign, Angus Forbes urges city residents to go out and use their vote. He writes:
Plymouth, this Thursday the 17th July, I appeal to you to vote and to vote for a mayor.
On Thursday, 17th July, you can help preserve democracy by voting in your Plymouth referendum for a Mayor.
This is your right under current legislation, current law. That is why this referendum is ‘live referendum’. It counts. It matters. It’s the law that says you can choose to be governed by a mayor. This Thursday, you can create the office of mayor should you want it, and the government then has to take that away from you with new primary legislation.
Let’s create it, let’s dictate our own direction of travel. Let everyone know the governance structure we want. We then set Westminster the task of taking it away.
Along with many of you, I am really ambitious for Plymouth. The list of things that I want Plymouth to achieve is as long as my arm, but only if it benefits every single citizen and they get a better, more prosperous, more fulfilled, more empowered, more community orientated, safer and healthier life. For this we need the best place based leader we can have, a directly elected leader (a mayor).
The mayor structure has the four advantages of DATE: more democracy, more accountability, more talent, more economic growth and revenue for services. It is the way the vast majority of cities in the world are run because it works and it is time for this natural state of city governance to be taken up in Plymouth.
To achieve collectively, we have to truly believe in our leadership. A leader who inspires, a leader who we would follow through a brick wall, a leader who puts the pride back in this city. A leader we choose. That is why the current system of divisive, over political, councillor led failure has to go.
Indirect democracy, where councillors choose the leader from amongst themselves, has failed Plymouth absolutely. Of the six objectives councillors set in 2003 to be achieved by 2026, none were achieved. Not one. The current system has produced awful decision making, no airport, an ugly city centre, racked up almost £1bn in debt, and kept 30% of our city poor.
Our current structure using indirect democracy has allowed an unpopular leader to be in power for 16 years. This undemocratic situation has occurred by way of the manipulation of a weak system of governance that threatens and disenfranchises the public. As such, it is a form of dictatorship, wielding huge power over institutions or individuals that are supposed to execute the offices of council, encourage freedom of speech and ensure citizen safety.
Anywhere, anytime ordinary people are given the chance to choose, the choice is the same: freedom, not tyranny: democracy not dictatorship: the rule of law, not the rule of the secret police. Tony Blair.
Despite the huge political opposition to the petition and then the referendum, an admirable act of self-determination that should have been championed by local politicians, not opposed, I believe that the citizens of Plymouth will, this Thursday, rise up and exercise their democratic right under current legislation. The right to choose your leader directly, the right to have a mayor. This is current law and the law is there to empower you, so please use it.
The citizens of Plymouth have been lied to by councillors and MPs by referring to a made-up figure of £1.5m as the cost of a mayor (average cost £258k) and the local Labour party ignored the direct instructions of the Electoral Officer not to use the electoral roll in any way and sent out personally addressed letters to thousands and thousands of postal voters arguing against change, against progress. I hope you will see through these underhand practices for what they are and vow to defeat them at the ballot box.
Minister for Local Government and English Devolution Jim McMahon’s interference is an attempt to rewrite the rules mid-game, and divert democracy. It was so powerful, so unethical and so aggressive that many people in Plymouth actually think the referendum is cancelled. This is inexcusable by a Minister of the Crown. The people of Plymouth deserve a lot better than being pawns in a political manoeuvre orchestrated by Westminster and local politicians, especially when the petition was started six weeks before the general election. And despite this gross interference, I believe you will hear the call for change and see the determination of your fellow citizens and go out and vote.
By voting for a mayor this Thursday, you will start to transform your city by changing Plymouth’s mentality. You will be laying down a marker. You will be saying that bad governance is not for us, dictatorship is not for us, the failure of the last 26 years is not for us and that poverty is not our future. Enough is enough. This stops now.
Our future is a prosperous inclusive Plymouth, a thriving Plymouth, a strong and powerful Plymouth, a proud city rightfully back where it belongs. Above all, our future is where power is held by the people to choose their leader directly.
Whether it is now or in a few years’ time, this power transfer will happen if you vote for a mayor in your referendum, and tell the world exactly what you want.
The power of change is in your hands, this Thursday the 17th of July.
Thank you.
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