Bath and North East Somerset residents voted overwhelmingly to keep the current Leader and Cabinet system for the local authority in the Referendum held last 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 delighted that the public have endorsed the Leader and Cabinet model of Government for the Bath and North East Somerset 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 in the early hours of Friday, 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’.

Commenting on the result, Councillor Dine Romero, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group, B&NES Council, said: “This is a good result for campaigners and the people of B&NES, many of whom will be relieved that B&NES will not have to suffer the follies of an Elected Mayor.

“It’s disappointing that £180,000 of taxpayers’ money has been wasted on a referendum, which was foisted on us by a small group of people. However, the matter has now been laid to rest for a decade at least. Local residents have no doubt looked West and noted the unpopularity of the Mayor of Bristol.

“When the Liberal Democrats were running the Council, we worked hard to improve transparency and accountability and to set a clear strategic direction for the Council. There is still more to be done and it is for the new administration to explain what more they will do to make improvements.”

Speaking to The Journal this week, Philip Raby, Chair of the Mayor for B&NES campaign, adds: “The voters have spoken, and the idea of an Elected Mayor is off the table. The major political parties worked very hard to continue with the status quo, and with the resources available to them, did a very thorough job. We congratulate them on their achievement.

“We thoroughly enjoyed the whole process, which stretches back over the last two years, and feel we have contributed to a new level of political engagement in B&NES. At the very least, people have had their first ever opportunity to choose how they wish to be governed at local level. The choice has been made. Like Tim Warren, we too would love to find ways of making B&NES an even better place to live in.”