The advance of elected mayors continues apace, despite the negative votes in city referendums last week. The London mayoral contest dominated May’s local elections. London’s transport, and much else besides, has been transformed for the better by twelve years of the mayoralty. Polls show more Londoners now favour independence for the capital than the abolition [...]
My suggestion that a reformed House of Lords should be located in a major city in the midlands or the north has stimulated a big debate. Here are some of the contributions: Let’s move the Lords to Manchester From the Spectator’s “Coffee House” blog Andrew Adonis, one of the [...]
Originally published in The Times Can you name the leaders of Birmingham, Liverpool and Leeds city councils, three of the largest cities in England? No? You are in good company. When I asked the question at a conference of local authority chief executives, not even they could name all three. But have you met [...]
Posts from my tour of the English cities holding referendums on whether they should have executive mayors: Bristol, 5th January 2011 Bristol City Council has had seven changes of leader in eight years. Yet another change of leader could be in the offing after next May’s elections. But even if the current administration – run [...]
An article of mine for Comment is Free Now that the creation of a largely elected House of Lords seems likely, the location of this new parliamentary chamber ought to be a matter for debate. And the case for locating it in one of England’s regional cities should be considered. As a Londoner who delights [...]