Plymouth Plus can reveal that council leader Tudor Evans once backed a referendum on Plymouth City Council’s governance arrangements.
Minutes from a Plymouth City Council meeting in December 2010 show that Evans once backed a referendum on the very model he now claims is a "waste of money".
The 2010 consultation on whether to have a mayor
Plymouth City Council ran a consultation on whether to adopt the strong leader or mayor model of governance. The consultation was fraught with controversy: the web consultation link went down and the process was extended.
Media attention meant the matter received increased interest and 72% of those consulted supported a mayor.
When it came to the vote on 6th December 2010, minutes show that 30 Conservative councillors voted to stick with the leader and cabinet model, while Labour councillors voted against this.
Those voting in favour included senior Labour figures Cllr Evans, Dann, Coker, Haydon, Lowry and Stevens — who continue to serve on the council to this day.
Tudor Calls for a Referendum
Minutes also show that opposition leader Cllr Tudor Evans moved an amendment, proposing a confirmatory referendum to be held in May 2011.
Cllr Tudor Evans' amendment stated:
"That in the light of flawed consultation on the matter, the council agrees to hold a confirmatory referendum on the matter on the day of the national referendum on AV and the local elections on May 5 2011."
The amendment was seconded by Cllr Sue Dann and voted down by Conservative councillors.
Cllr Tudor Evans now says that holding a city mayor referendum in 2025 is a "waste of money". He told councillors in February 2025 "I'm not happy about it" and called a city mayor a "vanity project".
A mayor for Plymouth source said they were grateful for Tudor's past support and asked: "What's changed?"
You can read the official council minutes for yourself here: City Council – Monday 6 December 2010, 2.00 pm.
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