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| Liverpool picks directly elected mayor: Live blog from the campaign | Liverpool picks directly elected mayor: Live blog from the campaign |
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| 5.03pm: At the start of the day (see 7.30am) I quoted Tony Travers as saying that the man who becomes mayor of Liverpool will become a well-known figure nationally. It takes a brave man to contradict Tony Travers on a local government matter, but I don't think that's right. Joe Anderson shows no sign of wanting to be a national figure. Which is a shame, because it's not as if our national politics is over-populated with serious, credible working-class Labour figures from the north who are resolutely pro-business and pro-enterprise. When David Cameron said before the election that he wanted the private sector to account for a greater share of the economy in the north, Labour protested (because that was seen as code for public sector cuts) and I think it made the front page of the Guardian. When I asked Anderson if he wanted a bigger private sector, he looked at me as if I were mad and said of course. | 5.03pm: At the start of the day (see 7.30am) I quoted Tony Travers as saying that the man who becomes mayor of Liverpool will become a well-known figure nationally. It takes a brave man to contradict Tony Travers on a local government matter, but I don't think that's right. Joe Anderson shows no sign of wanting to be a national figure. Which is a shame, because it's not as if our national politics is over-populated with serious, credible working-class Labour figures from the north who are resolutely pro-business and pro-enterprise. When David Cameron said before the election that he wanted the private sector to account for a greater share of the economy in the north, Labour protested (because that was seen as code for public sector cuts) and I think it made the front page of the Guardian. When I asked Anderson if he wanted a bigger private sector, he looked at me as if I were mad and said of course. |
| Yet you would not call him New Labour. "I'm neither Old Labour or New Labour. I'm Joe Anderson Labour," he said. | Yet you would not call him New Labour. "I'm neither Old Labour or New Labour. I'm Joe Anderson Labour," he said. |
| On the broader question of whether mayoral election campaigns will revive local politics, I have say that I'm not a great deal wiser. In many ways this feels exactly the same as any local government election. Mayor fever certainly hasn't hit Liverpool. But four years on - who knows? | On the broader question of whether mayoral election campaigns will revive local politics, I have say that I'm not a great deal wiser. In many ways this feels exactly the same as any local government election. Mayor fever certainly hasn't hit Liverpool. But four years on - who knows? |
| I'll have to come back. I certainly haven't covered everything today. Apologies to everyone to whom I did not manage to speak. As usual, I feel I've just scratched the surface. | I'll have to come back. I certainly haven't covered everything today. Apologies to everyone to whom I did not manage to speak. As usual, I feel I've just scratched the surface. |
| 4.54pm: The Lib Dems are a bit touchy about my post at 1.28pm. A party official has sent me an email saying that Nick Clegg wrote to councillors in January saying that no city deal, including Liverpool's, was dependent on the city adopting an elected mayor. | 4.54pm: The Lib Dems are a bit touchy about my post at 1.28pm. A party official has sent me an email saying that Nick Clegg wrote to councillors in January saying that no city deal, including Liverpool's, was dependent on the city adopting an elected mayor. |
| That's true. Clegg said this: | That's true. Clegg said this: |
| The appropriate governance structure may be different for each city, depending on its individual circumstances and it is therefore important to clarify that no City Deal, including Liverpool's proposal, is contingent on having an elected mayor. | The appropriate governance structure may be different for each city, depending on its individual circumstances and it is therefore important to clarify that no City Deal, including Liverpool's proposal, is contingent on having an elected mayor. |
| But ministers were saying that having an elected mayor would be a jolly good way of making sure that the city did meet the stronger governance requirements. This is what the Department for Communities said in a document. | But ministers were saying that having an elected mayor would be a jolly good way of making sure that the city did meet the stronger governance requirements. This is what the Department for Communities said in a document. |
| Where cities want to take on significant new powers and funding streams, they will need to demonstrate strong, accountable leadership, an ambitious agenda for the economic future of their area, effective decision-making structures, and private sector involvement and leadership (cities with a directly elected mayor will meet this requirement). | Where cities want to take on significant new powers and funding streams, they will need to demonstrate strong, accountable leadership, an ambitious agenda for the economic future of their area, effective decision-making structures, and private sector involvement and leadership (cities with a directly elected mayor will meet this requirement). |
| I was not following this closely at the time, but one journalist colleague who was told me that he thought the way Liverpool was strong-armed into having an elected mayor was a serious setback for Clegg because he did not want it to happen. | I was not following this closely at the time, but one journalist colleague who was told me that he thought the way Liverpool was strong-armed into having an elected mayor was a serious setback for Clegg because he did not want it to happen. |
| 4.48pm: Tony Mulhearn, one of the many candidates I have not been able to speak to, has sent me a statement about why he's standing for the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition. | 4.48pm: Tony Mulhearn, one of the many candidates I have not been able to speak to, has sent me a statement about why he's standing for the Trade Union and Socialist Coalition. |
| I am standing for mayor because none of the other candidates represent the working class. All the other candidates are quite prepared to make huge cuts to jobs and services and this will have a devastating affect on the city of Liverpool. I stand in total opposition to cuts and am campaigning for a fight back in this city against the cuts to the childrens centres, to stop and reverse privitisation, to bring back EMA for 6th form and college students at the full £30 and to organise a city wide referendum on the disasterous NHS Act. | |
| I did manage a quick phone conversation with John Coyne, the Green candidate, who said that in some respects a mayoral contest is good for his party, because they get a platform at hustings, but that in other respects it posed problems, because at a lively hustings it was difficult "to get complex ideas across in soundbites". There were no easy answers to the problems the city faced, he said. But there were some hard answers. He was dying to tell me about them, and he was very understanding when I explained that I just did not have the time. | I did manage a quick phone conversation with John Coyne, the Green candidate, who said that in some respects a mayoral contest is good for his party, because they get a platform at hustings, but that in other respects it posed problems, because at a lively hustings it was difficult "to get complex ideas across in soundbites". There were no easy answers to the problems the city faced, he said. But there were some hard answers. He was dying to tell me about them, and he was very understanding when I explained that I just did not have the time. |
| 4.43pm: Richard Kemp, the Lib Dem candidate for mayor and someone for whom the term "veteran" seems a bit of an understatement – he was first elected to Liverpool council in 1975 and his long career in local government has included a stint as vice chair of the Local Government Association – is skeptical about mayors. As we talked in his book-lined living room off Penny Lane, I read him the quote from the John Harris Guardian column I quoted earlier. | 4.43pm: Richard Kemp, the Lib Dem candidate for mayor and someone for whom the term "veteran" seems a bit of an understatement – he was first elected to Liverpool council in 1975 and his long career in local government has included a stint as vice chair of the Local Government Association – is skeptical about mayors. As we talked in his book-lined living room off Penny Lane, I read him the quote from the John Harris Guardian column I quoted earlier. |
| Liverpool, though, has decided to jump straight in, and nominations closed last week. By way of heralding a fresh start, all 12 candidates are white men, the frontrunner is the current leader of the city's Labour council, and as if to decisively push things into the 21st century, the field also includes Tony Mulhearn, whose had his last turn on the national stage when he and Derek Hatton were pioneering municipal Trotksyism. How any of this is meant to get Liverpool going is anyone's guess. | Liverpool, though, has decided to jump straight in, and nominations closed last week. By way of heralding a fresh start, all 12 candidates are white men, the frontrunner is the current leader of the city's Labour council, and as if to decisively push things into the 21st century, the field also includes Tony Mulhearn, whose had his last turn on the national stage when he and Derek Hatton were pioneering municipal Trotksyism. How any of this is meant to get Liverpool going is anyone's guess. |
| Did he agree? "Absolutely," he replied. | Did he agree? "Absolutely," he replied. |
| Kemp said that a directly elected city mayor was "the answer to the wrong problem". Manchester and Leeds both received city deals worth more than £1bn because they were negotiating as city regions (meaning their money will be shared amongst several authorities). Kemp said Liverpool needed a body with the clout to take decisions on behalf of all 1.65m people living in the Liverpool conurbation, not just the 430,000 people living in the city. Such a body could be led by a mayor for the city region of the kind Joe Anderson originally favoured (see 3.24pm) – a job sometimes described as a "metro mayor". But Kemp said he did not like the mayoral model generally. | Kemp said that a directly elected city mayor was "the answer to the wrong problem". Manchester and Leeds both received city deals worth more than £1bn because they were negotiating as city regions (meaning their money will be shared amongst several authorities). Kemp said Liverpool needed a body with the clout to take decisions on behalf of all 1.65m people living in the Liverpool conurbation, not just the 430,000 people living in the city. Such a body could be led by a mayor for the city region of the kind Joe Anderson originally favoured (see 3.24pm) – a job sometimes described as a "metro mayor". But Kemp said he did not like the mayoral model generally. |
| But Liverpool has got one, and Kemp is the candidate. How does he see the contest? Here are the main points he had to make. | But Liverpool has got one, and Kemp is the candidate. How does he see the contest? Here are the main points he had to make. |
| • Kemp predicted that turnout would be lower than the 38% it was in last year's local elections in Liverpool (which he described as "not a local election but a national referendum on the government") but more than the 30% it is in normal Liverpool local elections. He said the first mayoral election tends to increase turnout by 4 percentage points. After that it does down, he said. • He said Joe Anderson £130m was really only worth £100m, because Liverpool would have got £30m of that anyway for academies. | • Kemp predicted that turnout would be lower than the 38% it was in last year's local elections in Liverpool (which he described as "not a local election but a national referendum on the government") but more than the 30% it is in normal Liverpool local elections. He said the first mayoral election tends to increase turnout by 4 percentage points. After that it does down, he said. • He said Joe Anderson £130m was really only worth £100m, because Liverpool would have got £30m of that anyway for academies. |
| • He said he was opposed to mayors because they led to "testosterone-charged politics". He also said that where the mayoral system works, it does not work better than existing arrangements. And where it fail, as in Doncaster and Stoke, "it fails spectacularly". | • He said he was opposed to mayors because they led to "testosterone-charged politics". He also said that where the mayoral system works, it does not work better than existing arrangements. And where it fail, as in Doncaster and Stoke, "it fails spectacularly". |
| • He said he expected the Lib Dems to lose about three of the 20 seats they hold on the council in the council elections. But he expected their share of the vote to be higher than it was last year. "We are more confident this year," he said. "We are more united. We are happier. Our canvass returns are better." • He claimed that Anderson's chances of winning the mayoral contest on first preference voters were "minimal". There were too many candidates for that, he said. The mayor is elected by the supplementary vote, which means second preferences are taken into account. • Kemp said he was confident that he was in second place in the mayoral contest. "I'm clear that I'm in second place because our canvass returns are picking up negligible returns for other people," he said. | • He said he expected the Lib Dems to lose about three of the 20 seats they hold on the council in the council elections. But he expected their share of the vote to be higher than it was last year. "We are more confident this year," he said. "We are more united. We are happier. Our canvass returns are better." • He claimed that Anderson's chances of winning the mayoral contest on first preference voters were "minimal". There were too many candidates for that, he said. The mayor is elected by the supplementary vote, which means second preferences are taken into account. • Kemp said he was confident that he was in second place in the mayoral contest. "I'm clear that I'm in second place because our canvass returns are picking up negligible returns for other people," he said. |
| If you want to read more, here's a statement from Kemp explaining why he's standing for mayor. | If you want to read more, here's a statement from Kemp explaining why he's standing for mayor. |
| 4.04pm: There's a twitter feed devoted to news from the Liverpool mayoral contest - @LplMayorWatch. | 4.04pm: There's a twitter feed devoted to news from the Liverpool mayoral contest - @LplMayorWatch. |
| 3.24pm: Joe Anderson, the Labour candidate for mayor, left school at 16 (although he subsequently went to university as a mature student) and he worked as a merchant seaman and a social worker before becoming a full-time politician. He leads a Labour council in a city famous for its hostility to the Conservatives at a time when government spending cuts are causing real hardship. And yet his election manifesto (pdf) is relentlessly positive, and pro-business to a degree that would do Peter Mandelson proud. The first line reads: "This is an exciting time for Liverpool." And one of his five pledges is to "transform Liverpool into one of the most business and enterprise friendly cities in the UK." | 3.24pm: Joe Anderson, the Labour candidate for mayor, left school at 16 (although he subsequently went to university as a mature student) and he worked as a merchant seaman and a social worker before becoming a full-time politician. He leads a Labour council in a city famous for its hostility to the Conservatives at a time when government spending cuts are causing real hardship. And yet his election manifesto (pdf) is relentlessly positive, and pro-business to a degree that would do Peter Mandelson proud. The first line reads: "This is an exciting time for Liverpool." And one of his five pledges is to "transform Liverpool into one of the most business and enterprise friendly cities in the UK." |
| When I spoke to him this morning, I was keen to discover if he thought that having a mayoral election, instead of a standard council election, would change politics in the city. He seems cautiously optimistic that it will. Here are the main points. | When I spoke to him this morning, I was keen to discover if he thought that having a mayoral election, instead of a standard council election, would change politics in the city. He seems cautiously optimistic that it will. Here are the main points. |
| • Anderson said that he accepted that there was not a great deal of enthusiasm for a mayoral contest. I was speaking to him after my vox pop (see 10.55am) and I told him people did not seem swept away with excitement. "It is hard for people to get their head around it," he said. "It's the first time. But people will start to come round to the whole concept when they start to read the letter that is going out and some of the stories that are in the papers." • He confirmed that the £130m on offer from the government's "city deal" (see 1.28pm) was the decisive factor in persuading the council to go for an elected mayor. He said that he was originally sceptical about Liverpool having a directly elected city mayor because he thought it would be better to have an elected mayor covering the whole city region. But this became impossible because some of the other Liverpool authorities objected. Anderson then pushed ahead with the city deal with the government. "Once it became a question of do you allow [the other authorities] to stop the city of Liverpool, I took the decision that they should not hold us back," he said. | • Anderson said that he accepted that there was not a great deal of enthusiasm for a mayoral contest. I was speaking to him after my vox pop (see 10.55am) and I told him people did not seem swept away with excitement. "It is hard for people to get their head around it," he said. "It's the first time. But people will start to come round to the whole concept when they start to read the letter that is going out and some of the stories that are in the papers." • He confirmed that the £130m on offer from the government's "city deal" (see 1.28pm) was the decisive factor in persuading the council to go for an elected mayor. He said that he was originally sceptical about Liverpool having a directly elected city mayor because he thought it would be better to have an elected mayor covering the whole city region. But this became impossible because some of the other Liverpool authorities objected. Anderson then pushed ahead with the city deal with the government. "Once it became a question of do you allow [the other authorities] to stop the city of Liverpool, I took the decision that they should not hold us back," he said. |
| • But he also claimed that having a directly elected mayor would make Liverpool more democratic. | • But he also claimed that having a directly elected mayor would make Liverpool more democratic. |
| Having a mayor gives us the opportunity open up the city and participation in democracy. Choosing a leader of the city used to be a decision taken by a group of councillors in a room in secret. This is different. It means the south, the north, the east and the west of the city gets an opportunity to elect a leader. | Having a mayor gives us the opportunity open up the city and participation in democracy. Choosing a leader of the city used to be a decision taken by a group of councillors in a room in secret. This is different. It means the south, the north, the east and the west of the city gets an opportunity to elect a leader. |
| • He said that that, as an elected mayor, he would be able to lobby on behalf of the city internationally more effectively. | • He said that that, as an elected mayor, he would be able to lobby on behalf of the city internationally more effectively. |
| When I went to Shanghai – we were the only city outside of the capital to have an exhibition there – people could not get their head around the fact that I was leader of the council and that we also had a lord mayor. They could not understand the difference between the mayor of Shanghai and a lord mayor [a ceremonial figure in local authorities, with no political power]. They were confused by it all. Only after a great deal of explanation did they understand it. | When I went to Shanghai – we were the only city outside of the capital to have an exhibition there – people could not get their head around the fact that I was leader of the council and that we also had a lord mayor. They could not understand the difference between the mayor of Shanghai and a lord mayor [a ceremonial figure in local authorities, with no political power]. They were confused by it all. Only after a great deal of explanation did they understand it. |
| Anderson also said the city would benefit from having a figurehead "who can go out and guarantee that something will happen when he says it will happen". | Anderson also said the city would benefit from having a figurehead "who can go out and guarantee that something will happen when he says it will happen". |
| • He said he was not interested in being a celebrity figure. When I said to him that mayoral elections in London have favoured candidates who do well on programmes like Have I Got News for You, he left me in no doubt that this was not his style of politics. | • He said he was not interested in being a celebrity figure. When I said to him that mayoral elections in London have favoured candidates who do well on programmes like Have I Got News for You, he left me in no doubt that this was not his style of politics. |
| I have got no intention of appearing on TV, whether it's Have I Got News For You or any other programme. My ambitions are about helping Liverpool make the most of the opportunities that exist. It is not about me personally. | I have got no intention of appearing on TV, whether it's Have I Got News For You or any other programme. My ambitions are about helping Liverpool make the most of the opportunities that exist. It is not about me personally. |
| • He said that he wanted more private sector involvement in the city. When I asked him if he would like to see the private sector account for a larger slice of the local economy, he replied: "Of course, absolutely. We want private sector development." He said that, in economic terms, the old days were over. | • He said that he wanted more private sector involvement in the city. When I asked him if he would like to see the private sector account for a larger slice of the local economy, he replied: "Of course, absolutely. We want private sector development." He said that, in economic terms, the old days were over. |
One of the things that is very clear to me is that the future for local authorities and cities is never going to be the same again. They are going to have to do things differently. We have to be enterprising, and work with the private sector to encourage growth, create jobs and create new business as a way of securing our cities future. | One of the things that is very clear to me is that the future for local authorities and cities is never going to be the same again. They are going to have to do things differently. We have to be enterprising, and work with the private sector to encourage growth, create jobs and create new business as a way of securing our cities future. |
| There's a reason why Anderson's manifesto (pdf) is so positive. Yesterday I read it shortly before I read the ministerial statement from Greg Clark, the cities minister, on Liverpool's city deal. Anderson is promising a mayoral development corporation and five mayoral development zones. These ideas are also at the heart of the city deal, which Anderson negotiated personally with Clark. (Anderson also had meetings with Nick Clegg and George Osborne, but most of the work was done with Clark.) It's a joint project which guarantees Liverpool its £130m. But it means that, in this election, it is almost as if the Labour candidate is running on a manifesto jointly written by the Department for Communities. | There's a reason why Anderson's manifesto (pdf) is so positive. Yesterday I read it shortly before I read the ministerial statement from Greg Clark, the cities minister, on Liverpool's city deal. Anderson is promising a mayoral development corporation and five mayoral development zones. These ideas are also at the heart of the city deal, which Anderson negotiated personally with Clark. (Anderson also had meetings with Nick Clegg and George Osborne, but most of the work was done with Clark.) It's a joint project which guarantees Liverpool its £130m. But it means that, in this election, it is almost as if the Labour candidate is running on a manifesto jointly written by the Department for Communities. |
| If you want to read more about Anderson, here's a short reading list. | If you want to read more about Anderson, here's a short reading list. |
| Here's some more information about Joe Anderson. | Here's some more information about Joe Anderson. |
| • Anderson's application to Labour explaining why he should be the party's candidate for mayor • A profile of Anderson in the Liverpool Echo • His Wikipedia entry • An interview with Community Care in which he talks about his background as a social worker. | • Anderson's application to Labour explaining why he should be the party's candidate for mayor • A profile of Anderson in the Liverpool Echo • His Wikipedia entry • An interview with Community Care in which he talks about his background as a social worker. |
| 2.38pm: "If George Galloway can win in Bradford West, then I can win in Liverpool." That was Tony Caldeira, the Conservative candidate, who just been speaking to me on the phone. | 2.38pm: "If George Galloway can win in Bradford West, then I can win in Liverpool." That was Tony Caldeira, the Conservative candidate, who just been speaking to me on the phone. |
| Caldeira is the only person I've spoken to so far who claims that there is any real excitement in Liverpool about the mayoral contest. I'm sceptical, and his chances in a city where no Conservative councillor has been elected for ages must be minimal. But he points out that the mayoral system means that voters won't just judge him by his party label. "I'm not your standard Old Etonian," he says. "I have lived in a council house with a single mum and been on free school meals and I have worked my way out of poverty." He now runs a company making cushions that employs 250 people around the world. We did not speak for long, but he was upbeat and friendly. He's not going anywhere here, of course, but he is now on the Tory candidates' list and I suspect we may be hearing from him again. | Caldeira is the only person I've spoken to so far who claims that there is any real excitement in Liverpool about the mayoral contest. I'm sceptical, and his chances in a city where no Conservative councillor has been elected for ages must be minimal. But he points out that the mayoral system means that voters won't just judge him by his party label. "I'm not your standard Old Etonian," he says. "I have lived in a council house with a single mum and been on free school meals and I have worked my way out of poverty." He now runs a company making cushions that employs 250 people around the world. We did not speak for long, but he was upbeat and friendly. He's not going anywhere here, of course, but he is now on the Tory candidates' list and I suspect we may be hearing from him again. |
| My interviews with Joe Anderson and Richard Kemp are more extensive. I'll be posting them soon. | My interviews with Joe Anderson and Richard Kemp are more extensive. I'll be posting them soon. |
| 1.40pm: Earlier I asked if mayoral elections are always dominated by men. Apparently they are. The Centre for Women and Democracy have done some work on this and here's an extract from a briefing note they did about the mayoral contests last year (pdf) | 1.40pm: Earlier I asked if mayoral elections are always dominated by men. Apparently they are. The Centre for Women and Democracy have done some work on this and here's an extract from a briefing note they did about the mayoral contests last year (pdf) |
| 21% of candidates for the five mayoral posts being contested on 5 May are women. This represents a slight increase on 2010, but continues the underlying pattern of mayoral elections attracting fewer women candidates than council elections, in which around 30% of candidates are usually women. 21% of candidates for the five mayoral posts being contested on 5 May are women. | 21% of candidates for the five mayoral posts being contested on 5 May are women. This represents a slight increase on 2010, but continues the underlying pattern of mayoral elections attracting fewer women candidates than council elections, in which around 30% of candidates are usually women. 21% of candidates for the five mayoral posts being contested on 5 May are women. |
| 1.28pm: Why is Liverpool having a mayoral election anyway? Time for some background. | 1.28pm: Why is Liverpool having a mayoral election anyway? Time for some background. |
| David Cameron is keen on directly-elected mayors, just as Tony Blair was. Not surprisingly, charismatic leaders tend to think that the solution to every problem in local government is charismatic leadership. Nick Clegg (perhaps because he is a different type of leader) is more skeptical. But the Tories led the way on this and the coalition agreement said the government would "create directly-elected mayors in the 12 largest English cities, subject to confirmatory referendums". Ten of those referendums are going ahead in May. | David Cameron is keen on directly-elected mayors, just as Tony Blair was. Not surprisingly, charismatic leaders tend to think that the solution to every problem in local government is charismatic leadership. Nick Clegg (perhaps because he is a different type of leader) is more skeptical. But the Tories led the way on this and the coalition agreement said the government would "create directly-elected mayors in the 12 largest English cities, subject to confirmatory referendums". Ten of those referendums are going ahead in May. |
| Clegg may not be enthusiastic about elected mayors, but he does want to devolve power to cities and in December last year he published a document called Unlocking Growth in the Cities which said that the government would strike a series of tailor-made "city deals" with England's leading cities. In return for demonstrating "strong, visible and accountable leadership", city councils can obtain more economic power. | Clegg may not be enthusiastic about elected mayors, but he does want to devolve power to cities and in December last year he published a document called Unlocking Growth in the Cities which said that the government would strike a series of tailor-made "city deals" with England's leading cities. In return for demonstrating "strong, visible and accountable leadership", city councils can obtain more economic power. |
| Liverpool was the first authority to agree a "city deal" and the mayoral job is a direct consequence. The ruling Labour group on Liverpool council were originally sceptical about having a directly-elected mayor. But the city deal is worth £130m to the city and, when ministers made it clear that the best way for Liverpool to meet the "strong, visible and accountable leadership" test would be to have a directly elected mayor, Joe Anderson, the council leader, agreed to cut a deal. Some people in the city thought that there should be a referendum. But, under the Local Government Act, councils can go to a directly-elected mayor system without a referendum provided there's a two-thirds majority vote in council. Anderson argued that it would be best to move quickly, to unlock the £130m, and in February the council voted for the mayoral model by 62 votes to 3. | Liverpool was the first authority to agree a "city deal" and the mayoral job is a direct consequence. The ruling Labour group on Liverpool council were originally sceptical about having a directly-elected mayor. But the city deal is worth £130m to the city and, when ministers made it clear that the best way for Liverpool to meet the "strong, visible and accountable leadership" test would be to have a directly elected mayor, Joe Anderson, the council leader, agreed to cut a deal. Some people in the city thought that there should be a referendum. But, under the Local Government Act, councils can go to a directly-elected mayor system without a referendum provided there's a two-thirds majority vote in council. Anderson argued that it would be best to move quickly, to unlock the £130m, and in February the council voted for the mayoral model by 62 votes to 3. |
| Here's some background reading about the decision. | Here's some background reading about the decision. |
| • The Liverpool Echo story about the deal. • A written ministerial statement from Greg Clark, the cities minister, about the Liverpool city deal. • A statement from Liverpool council about the deal. • A blog from Richard Kemp, the Lib Dem candidate, criticising the deal. | • The Liverpool Echo story about the deal. • A written ministerial statement from Greg Clark, the cities minister, about the Liverpool city deal. • A statement from Liverpool council about the deal. • A blog from Richard Kemp, the Lib Dem candidate, criticising the deal. |
| 12.57pm: Earlier I said Labour's Joe Anderson was likely to win. But that doesn't quite tell the whole story. According to the bookies, he's a virtual dead cert. William Hill have him as the 1/6 odds on favourite. | 12.57pm: Earlier I said Labour's Joe Anderson was likely to win. But that doesn't quite tell the whole story. According to the bookies, he's a virtual dead cert. William Hill have him as the 1/6 odds on favourite. |
| The Lib Dems' Richard Kemp comes next, at 7/2, followed by John Coyne, the Green candidate, at 10/1 and Tony Caldeira, the Conservative, at 16/1. After that, all the other candidates are given odds of 100/1, or longer. | The Lib Dems' Richard Kemp comes next, at 7/2, followed by John Coyne, the Green candidate, at 10/1 and Tony Caldeira, the Conservative, at 16/1. After that, all the other candidates are given odds of 100/1, or longer. |
| I've finished my interview with Kemp. We met at his house, which is just off the famous Penny Lane. I've now set up HQ in the Penny Lane wine bar where I'm going to write up my notes. I've also got quite a few other calls to make. The blog has been fairly quite this morning, and my laptop is in action now and I should be posting much more frequently this afternoon. | I've finished my interview with Kemp. We met at his house, which is just off the famous Penny Lane. I've now set up HQ in the Penny Lane wine bar where I'm going to write up my notes. I've also got quite a few other calls to make. The blog has been fairly quite this morning, and my laptop is in action now and I should be posting much more frequently this afternoon. |
| 10.55am: What can you learn from a vox pop with just a dozen or so voters? Not much, but more than you will learn from not talking to them. I'm in a pavilion at Stanley Park where it's exceedingly noisy because it's full of schoolchildren. They were here to see the Sea Odyssey spectacular, a street theatre event with an enormous puppet of child and dog. I was here to see Joe Anderson, the Labour mayoral candidate and leader of the council. But more of him later. | 10.55am: What can you learn from a vox pop with just a dozen or so voters? Not much, but more than you will learn from not talking to them. I'm in a pavilion at Stanley Park where it's exceedingly noisy because it's full of schoolchildren. They were here to see the Sea Odyssey spectacular, a street theatre event with an enormous puppet of child and dog. I was here to see Joe Anderson, the Labour mayoral candidate and leader of the council. But more of him later. |
| While I was waiting to speak to Anderson, I interviewed people in the crowd. If you speak to a random section of people anywhere in the UK and ask them about a forthcoming local election, most of them will tell you they know very little about it. The same thing happened to me just now. But I did gain some impressions that may be pertinent. Here goes. • The fact that this is a mayoral election, rather than a standard local election, does not seem to have raised interest levels very much. Of the 13 people I spoke properly, eight of them told me they were frankly not interested at all in the campaign. "I'm not taking any notice, to be perfectly honest," was a typical comment. The others did express some interest, but not because it was a mayoral observation. That might be related to my second, entirely unscientific observation. | While I was waiting to speak to Anderson, I interviewed people in the crowd. If you speak to a random section of people anywhere in the UK and ask them about a forthcoming local election, most of them will tell you they know very little about it. The same thing happened to me just now. But I did gain some impressions that may be pertinent. Here goes. • The fact that this is a mayoral election, rather than a standard local election, does not seem to have raised interest levels very much. Of the 13 people I spoke properly, eight of them told me they were frankly not interested at all in the campaign. "I'm not taking any notice, to be perfectly honest," was a typical comment. The others did express some interest, but not because it was a mayoral observation. That might be related to my second, entirely unscientific observation. |
| • Moving to a mayoral system does not seem to be popular. Two people told me they thought the council should have left things as they are. "Why have an elected mayor and pay more money?" asked Brian Corcoran, an unemployed 55-year-old. The one person who told me the mayoral system would be an improvement said she was in favour of change because it was better to have a mayor than "the same old council leaders". She did not seem to realise that one of "the same old council leaders" was likely to win. | • Moving to a mayoral system does not seem to be popular. Two people told me they thought the council should have left things as they are. "Why have an elected mayor and pay more money?" asked Brian Corcoran, an unemployed 55-year-old. The one person who told me the mayoral system would be an improvement said she was in favour of change because it was better to have a mayor than "the same old council leaders". She did not seem to realise that one of "the same old council leaders" was likely to win. |
| • Liverpudlians don't seem to want a Boris or a Ken. Two people told me that they specifically did not want a celebrity mayor. "I'm in favour of a mayor as long as it's not the same as in London," Wally Parry, 70, said. "A mayor should be in the shadows, rather than in the forefront." | • Liverpudlians don't seem to want a Boris or a Ken. Two people told me that they specifically did not want a celebrity mayor. "I'm in favour of a mayor as long as it's not the same as in London," Wally Parry, 70, said. "A mayor should be in the shadows, rather than in the forefront." |
| • Anderson is on course to win. Of those voters who did express an interest, they all said they would be voting for Anderson. Several said they were particularly impressed by the fact that he has struck a deal that will allow cruise liners to disembark in the city. | • Anderson is on course to win. Of those voters who did express an interest, they all said they would be voting for Anderson. Several said they were particularly impressed by the fact that he has struck a deal that will allow cruise liners to disembark in the city. |
| As for what Anderson had to say, I'm going to have to wait until I can unload my notebook. Now I'm off to meet Richard Kemp, the Lib Dem candidate. | As for what Anderson had to say, I'm going to have to wait until I can unload my notebook. Now I'm off to meet Richard Kemp, the Lib Dem candidate. |
| 8.31am: I'm off to an event now where I'll be meeting Joe Anderson, the Labour candidate. I probably won't be posting again until around 11am. | 8.31am: I'm off to an event now where I'll be meeting Joe Anderson, the Labour candidate. I probably won't be posting again until around 11am. |
| 8.23am: Alert readers will have noticed something obvious about the people on the list of candidates. None of them are women. | 8.23am: Alert readers will have noticed something obvious about the people on the list of candidates. None of them are women. |
| This is something that has alarmed some people in the city. This is what Flo Clucas, a former deputy leader of the council, told the Liverpool Post. | This is something that has alarmed some people in the city. This is what Flo Clucas, a former deputy leader of the council, told the Liverpool Post. |
| I think it's a terrible shame there are no women there. Mayor elections are dominated by men wherever they happen in the world. | I think it's a terrible shame there are no women there. Mayor elections are dominated by men wherever they happen in the world. |
| And this is what Richard Kemp, the Lib Dem mayoral candidate, wrote about the subject on his blog. | And this is what Richard Kemp, the Lib Dem mayoral candidate, wrote about the subject on his blog. |
| I am not surprised by this. There have been 21 people who have been elected mayors in England. Only two of them have been women and only one, Mayor Thornhill in Watford, has been around for any length of time. | I am not surprised by this. There have been 21 people who have been elected mayors in England. Only two of them have been women and only one, Mayor Thornhill in Watford, has been around for any length of time. |
| Does anyone know if it is true that mayoral elections are always dominated by men around the world (compared to other elections)? I haven't seen any figures on this, but it certainly sounds plausible. Why? For the same reason cited by a report from the Hansard Society last year which said that, although women were just as likely to sign petitions as men, they were far less likely to get involved in other political activities like blogging. | Does anyone know if it is true that mayoral elections are always dominated by men around the world (compared to other elections)? I haven't seen any figures on this, but it certainly sounds plausible. Why? For the same reason cited by a report from the Hansard Society last year which said that, although women were just as likely to sign petitions as men, they were far less likely to get involved in other political activities like blogging. |
The evidence for online politics suggests that the more an activity involves self-promotion, the more likely there is to be a male dominance. | The evidence for online politics suggests that the more an activity involves self-promotion, the more likely there is to be a male dominance. |
| In London, as we know, mayoral politics involves self-promotion on an Olympic scale. Is it the same in Liverpool? I'll have a better idea by this afternoon. | In London, as we know, mayoral politics involves self-promotion on an Olympic scale. Is it the same in Liverpool? I'll have a better idea by this afternoon. |
| 8.07am: Back to Liverpool. For the record, here are the 12 candidates standing in the mayoral election. | 8.07am: Back to Liverpool. For the record, here are the 12 candidates standing in the mayoral election. |
| Joe Anderson – Labour Jeff Berman – Liverpool Independent party Tony Caldeira – Conservative John Coyne – Green Liam Fogarty - Independent Adam Heatherington – Ukip Richard Kemp – Lib Dem Tony Mulhearn – Trade Union and Socialist Coalition Peter Quiggins – National Front Steve Radford – Liberal party Paul Rimmer – English Democrats Mike Whitby – BNP | Joe Anderson – Labour Jeff Berman – Liverpool Independent party Tony Caldeira – Conservative John Coyne – Green Liam Fogarty - Independent Adam Heatherington – Ukip Richard Kemp – Lib Dem Tony Mulhearn – Trade Union and Socialist Coalition Peter Quiggins – National Front Steve Radford – Liberal party Paul Rimmer – English Democrats Mike Whitby – BNP |
| You can read the official election booklet, with statements from all the candidates, here (pdf). | You can read the official election booklet, with statements from all the candidates, here (pdf). |
| 7.55am: Before we get going, here's a short reading list about directly elected mayors. | 7.55am: Before we get going, here's a short reading list about directly elected mayors. |
| • A report from the Institute for Government called What can elected mayors do for our cities? (pdf) • A report from the Warwick Commission on elected mayors | • A report from the Institute for Government called What can elected mayors do for our cities? (pdf) • A report from the Warwick Commission on elected mayors |
| • A blog from Michael White on the Warwick Commission report | • A blog from Michael White on the Warwick Commission report |
| In a session on the important, but much-ignored, question of local democracy and directly elected local mayors, it's hard not to warm to a speaker who starts by contrasting the Anglo-Saxon model of decentralism with the rival inheritance of the Norman yoke, which tried to run a conquered England from Westminster. | In a session on the important, but much-ignored, question of local democracy and directly elected local mayors, it's hard not to warm to a speaker who starts by contrasting the Anglo-Saxon model of decentralism with the rival inheritance of the Norman yoke, which tried to run a conquered England from Westminster. |
| But that was what Keith Grint, professor of public leadership and management at Warwick University's business school, did yesterday in launching the latest in a series of Warwick Commissions, this one on the pros and cons of the mayoral option for major English cities. | But that was what Keith Grint, professor of public leadership and management at Warwick University's business school, did yesterday in launching the latest in a series of Warwick Commissions, this one on the pros and cons of the mayoral option for major English cities. |
| • A column from John Harris casting doubt on the benefits of directly elected mayors | • A column from John Harris casting doubt on the benefits of directly elected mayors |
| Liverpool, though, has decided to jump straight in, and nominations closed last week. By way of heralding a fresh start, all 12 candidates are white men, the frontrunner is the current leader of the city's Labour council, and as if to decisively push things into the 21st century, the field also includes Tony Mulhearn, whose had his last turn on the national stage when he and Derek Hatton were pioneering municipal Trotksyism. How any of this is meant to get Liverpool going is anyone's guess. | Liverpool, though, has decided to jump straight in, and nominations closed last week. By way of heralding a fresh start, all 12 candidates are white men, the frontrunner is the current leader of the city's Labour council, and as if to decisively push things into the 21st century, the field also includes Tony Mulhearn, whose had his last turn on the national stage when he and Derek Hatton were pioneering municipal Trotksyism. How any of this is meant to get Liverpool going is anyone's guess. |
| • A column from Simon Jenkins praising directly elected mayors | • A column from Simon Jenkins praising directly elected mayors |
| [Ken] Livingstone in 2000 transformed leadership in the capital from a closed party mafia (including himself) to a personality on a par with other world cities. The impact was immediate. The London mandate secured more cash for police and transport and spattered central London with lofty towers. In the past four years his successor, Boris Johnson, has subsidised cycling and dug up every road. Like them or loathe them, these men have put city politics on the map. Hustings are packed. London's civic life has never been so vibrant. | [Ken] Livingstone in 2000 transformed leadership in the capital from a closed party mafia (including himself) to a personality on a par with other world cities. The impact was immediate. The London mandate secured more cash for police and transport and spattered central London with lofty towers. In the past four years his successor, Boris Johnson, has subsidised cycling and dug up every road. Like them or loathe them, these men have put city politics on the map. Hustings are packed. London's civic life has never been so vibrant. |
| 7.30am: "The mayor of Liverpool, when elected in May, will become well known nationally." So says Tony Travers in a recent report from the Institute for Government on directly elected mayors (pdf). I'm in Liverpool today to cover the mayoral election campaign and I'll be speaking to the favourite, Labour's Joe Anderson (currently leader of the council) and some of his rivals. If Travers is right, you'll be hearing a lot more about Liverpool's mayor after May. As my colleague Martin Wainwright wrote recently in a blog about the contest, the winner will be "the first really big city mayor outside London". Today I want to learn about the candidates. | 7.30am: "The mayor of Liverpool, when elected in May, will become well known nationally." So says Tony Travers in a recent report from the Institute for Government on directly elected mayors (pdf). I'm in Liverpool today to cover the mayoral election campaign and I'll be speaking to the favourite, Labour's Joe Anderson (currently leader of the council) and some of his rivals. If Travers is right, you'll be hearing a lot more about Liverpool's mayor after May. As my colleague Martin Wainwright wrote recently in a blog about the contest, the winner will be "the first really big city mayor outside London". Today I want to learn about the candidates. |
| But I also want to find out whether Travers really is right. The government is strongly promoting directly elected mayors and on Thursday 3 May Salford will also be electing one for the first time, while another 10 cities will be holding referendums on whether or not to adopt the directly elected mayoral model. As a London-based journalist, I know what the mayoral system has done for the capital. But what are mayoral campaigns like outside London? Are they really going to revive interest in local democracy and usher in a new generation of dynamic, accountable leaders? Or is it just the same old local government politics under a new name? Liverpool seems a good place to pose the question. | But I also want to find out whether Travers really is right. The government is strongly promoting directly elected mayors and on Thursday 3 May Salford will also be electing one for the first time, while another 10 cities will be holding referendums on whether or not to adopt the directly elected mayoral model. As a London-based journalist, I know what the mayoral system has done for the capital. But what are mayoral campaigns like outside London? Are they really going to revive interest in local democracy and usher in a new generation of dynamic, accountable leaders? Or is it just the same old local government politics under a new name? Liverpool seems a good place to pose the question. |
| If you've got thoughts on any of this, whether you live in Liverpool or not, please post them below. | If you've got thoughts on any of this, whether you live in Liverpool or not, please post them below. |
| I'll be in the city all day, attending a campaign event, interviewing candidates and talking to voters, and I'll be posting updates as I go along. If you want to follow me on Twitter, I'm on @AndrewSparrow. And, if you're a hard-core fan, you can follow @gdnpoliticslive. It's an automated feed that tweets the start of every new post that I put on the blog. | I'll be in the city all day, attending a campaign event, interviewing candidates and talking to voters, and I'll be posting updates as I go along. If you want to follow me on Twitter, I'm on @AndrewSparrow. And, if you're a hard-core fan, you can follow @gdnpoliticslive. It's an automated feed that tweets the start of every new post that I put on the blog. |