Bath and North East Somerset residents have voted overwhelmingly to keep the current Leader and Cabinet system for the local authority in the Referendum held yesterday (Thursday, 10th March).

With a turnout of 28.97%, 30,557 voted in favour of keeping the current system, with 8,054 voting for an Elected Mayor for the area.

The Referendum was triggered by Mayor for B&NES campaigners gathering 9,000 signatures in support of the idea, arguing that an Elected Mayor would be more visible and accountable within the community, with the Referendum giving voters an opportunity to choose change in the current system. Apart from some of the Independent Councillors on B&NES, the other parties, in a rare show of unity, opposed the idea, with B&NES voters backing them in the decisive vote.

Cllr Tim Warren (Conservative, Mendip), Leader of B&NES Council, said: “I’m pleased to have been given a second mandate to carry forward the work of the Cabinet in continuing to invest in the future of the area.

“We will be working hard to deliver our core priorities, including improving transport, creating homes and jobs, supporting young and older people alike and investing in cleaner, greener and healthier communities.”

“We are obviously very pleased with this decisive outcome, and believe it shows that residents in the area were never really convinced by the case for change.

“Whilst we obviously disagreed with those calling for an Elected Mayor, I respect the effort they put into their campaign. They are clearly passionate about their community and I hope we can work with them to make B&NES an even better place.”

Councillor Paul Myers (Cons., Midsomer Norton Redfield), who ran the Conservative campaign against the prospect of an Elected Mayor, said: “What we found on the doorstep was that most residents are largely content with the way the Council is run at present, and were not convinced by the arguments in favour of change. In particular, we found that our concerns about the cost and accountability of a Mayor, and whether the system was right for an area like B&NES, were shared by many members of the public.

“I’d like to thank all those involved in the campaign, particularly all the volunteers who put in so much time and effort to help get our message across and make sure that residents were informed and engaged in this important decision.”

Speaking via Twitter, Philip Raby, Chair of the Mayor for B&NES Campaign, said that he was pleased with the turnout and ’delighted to be able to unite the political parties’.