Bristol stands apart as other cities turn back on elected mayor model

May 8, 2012

Bristol was the only city to vote in favour of introducing an elected mayor in last week’s referenda.

With a reported average turnout of 24%, there were 41,032 votes in favour in Bristol and 35,880 against.

The other eight cities where votes took place all rejected the model. The votes were as follows:

Birmingham (57.8% against a switch to an elected mayor compared to 42.2% for);
Manchester (53.24% to 46.76%);
Nottingham (57.5% to 42.5%);
Sheffield (65% to 35%);
Wakefield (62.2% to 37.8%);
Coventry (63.58% to 36.42%);
Leeds (61.86% to 35.79%; and
Bradford (55.13% to 44.87%).

Elsewhere, Doncaster voted to retain an elected mayor while Liverpool and Salford elected mayors for the first time (in Labour’s Joe Anderson and Ian Stewart respectively).

Liverpool City Council opted in February 2012 for an elected mayor model in return for the devolution of powers by the Government through a so-called ‘City Deal’.

However, Manchester secured its own City Deal a month later without having to move to the elected mayor model.