Town to have directly elected Mayor?

WARRINGTON should have a directly elected Mayor, according to the influential Institute for Public Policy Research.
This would give the town stronger local political leadership, clearer accountability and encourage central government to decentralise more powers to local government, says the IPPR.
It would mean the existing 10-strong executive board would be replaced by one councillor.
The IPPR believes the Government should introduce elected mayors in every major town and city in England and has drawn up a list of 82 which includes not only Warrington but neighbouring boroughs Halton, Trafford, St Helens and Salford.
There are already 13 elected mayors and the IPPR says experience of them so far has been positive, with highly capable leaders overseeing an improvement in the performance of their councils.
One of the 13 is, of course, the controversial Ken Livingstone in London – architect of congestion charging.
Senior members of Warrington Borough Council, of all three major parties, are believed to be against directly elected mayors.