After the local election and referendum last week, we now know that we have a new leader and no prospect of an elected mayor.

I was excited by the opportunity to change the way the council was run. In particular I felt that the city might be transformed if we as a population directly elected a leader rather than allow elected councillors simply to select one of their own.

In my humble opinion, I think we have missed an opportunity. But clearly the people of the city who were motivated to go out and vote (a disappointing 30 per cent of the electorate) thought otherwise. So, in the words of my fictional political hero, Jed Bartlett in The West Wing – “What’s next?”.

The Yes campaign has dusted down and already re-invented itself – changing focus from the elected mayor referendum to a campaign to raise political engagement with the voting public. The business community now looks to the newish LEP for the devolution of new powers on critical areas such strategic planning, transport and skills.

And for Fierce Earth, it’s business as usual (watch this space soon for exciting developments that we are currently plotting). Increasingly we are attracted to look at the lives and work of artists to demonstrate ways of responding to life’s changes and challenges.