Dear Editor, It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Yes to a Mayor group consists largely of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and the remnants of New Labour.

The Conservatives locally don’t appear to support the idea and the Liberal Democrats are opposed too. Even the council’s Conservative leader Mike Whitby only seems to support mayors because the job is essentially a more powerful and higher paid version of the one he currently has.

Remember, the mayor needs only one-third of councillors to support his budget and key policies each year for them to be approved and they can’t be removed from office, even by a vote of no confidence.

The thought of Liam Byrne (Labour Treasury Minister as Britain’s debt spiralled to record levels), Sion Simon (New Labour incarnate) or even ‘Blair Babe’ Gisela Stuart governing our city virtually unchecked for at least four years, fills me with dread.

Two years ago Britain finally saw the back of the profligate New Labour project. Please don’t let them return to run Birmingham, because voting for a mayor means that’s what we’ll get.

W Goff, Sutton Coldfield