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| Liverpool picks directly elected mayor: Live blog from the campaign | Liverpool picks directly elected mayor: Live blog from the campaign |
| (39 minutes later) | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. | |
| 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. |