The Digby Jones column: Why Birmingham needs a directly-elected mayor
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IN his latest column for the TheBusinessDesk.com West Midlands, Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham, examines the case for the Second City having its own directly-elected mayor. The former Midlands lawyer argues that what Birmingham needs is radicalism harking back to the days of Joseph Chamberlain.
Birmingham needs an elected mayor and the sooner the better.
Why do I say that? Because Birmingham is not working to its optimum, failing to achieve to the full, seemingly unable to make the most of its talents.
It has a proud history – once the city of a thousand trades.
Today, Birmingham is the UK’s second largest retail centre, has hugely productive professional services, tremendously vital arts and culture, conference facilities second to none, and, despite the decline of manufacturing in the city, significant industrial plants remain such as Jaguar in Castle Bromwich and Cadbury in Bournville.
It is a rainbow city with good community relations. It is a city of young people full of optimism and aspiration.
But there are deep seated intractable problems holding Birmingham back.
We are not producing the entrepreneurs of old, there are unacceptable levels of unemployment in the inner city, social services and child care seem to be in permanent crisis, too many kids come out of school unable to read and write, and for the most part we lose our best people because they do not believe insular Birmingham can meet their ambitions.
Above all, Birmingham lacks leadership.
That is why I welcome the new Government’s pledge to introduce directly elected mayors in the 12 largest English cities “subject to a confirmatory referendum and full scrutiny by elected councillors”.
The referendum and, hopefully, the subsequent election cannot come soon enough.
We need to get back to the sort of radicalism delivered by perhaps Birmingham’s greatest leader, Joseph Chamberlain.
A man who put water and gas under municipal control and advanced slum clearance, changing the city dramatically for the better.
His achievements came despite hefty opposition – there are always those for whom change is a threat.
Birmingham needs strong, charismatic, executive leadership surrounded by (not necessarily elected) specialists giving time to their city.
We somehow have to get the election away from the factionalism and sectoral divisions of party politics.
Already we are seeing a kind of rearguard action, with some querying the confirmatory nature of the referendum, claiming that is unfair to an existing system that has stood the test of time.
But people will have the chance to state clearly Yes or No and politicians can campaign accordingly.
I want to see a resounding Yes to elected mayors.
After all, elected mayors were in their present form first introduced into England and Wales in 2000, a decade ago.
In a small number of cases they have not worked, there has been some public backlash about perceived excessive powers wielded by so-called elected dictators, but overall they have proved a success, with the greatest example that of London.
Birmingham City Council is the largest local authority in the UK and the largest council in Europe.
It has the population of a small country.
Leading such an entity is not for enthusiastic, career politicians of the time-serving “I’ve done my years in the trenches … now it’s my time” variety!
Nor is it a job for the beneficiary of the block vote from organisational clout.
It requires someone who can rise above political vanity, lead from the front and, above all, deliver a new Birmingham.
The post should be limited to two five-year terms – as, in my view, every post in UK politics should be, including that of Prime Minister.
Will I stand?
For the moment there is nothing to contest and so I am keeping my counsel.
There will be no shortage of candidates – one or two have already declared.
Personally, I would not dream of being so presumptive and insulting as to make assumptions about what the public’s referendum decision will be.
Nevertheless, I will say this – however the vote goes, Birmingham must fight its battles on a world stage, not inward-looking with energy taken up by internecine party infighting or gratifying the little horizons of yesterday’s wars.
Read previous Digby Jones columns
