Conservative Party leader David Cameron has given the closest indication yet that a Tory Government would order a referendum to decide whether Birmingham should be governed by an elected mayor.
Speaking at the Local Government Association conference at the ICC yesterday, Mr Cameron said he firmly believed a Ken Livingstone-style figure would help the city "pack a punch" on the world stage and said it was "regrettable" so few cities were led by mayors.
His outspoken support for mayors put him at odds with Mike Whitby, the Tory leader of Birmingham City Council, who is refusing to hold a referendum on the issue. Coun Whitby, sitting in the front row of the conference at the ICC, watched impassively as Mr Cameron outlined his ideas.
Mr Cameron also pledged to abolish the West Midlands Regional Assembly and to give local councils the opportunity to take over the responsibilities and the £400 million budget of Advantage West Midlands, the regional development agency.
It is expected Mr Cameron - who promised a definitive policy announcement soon - will approve the findings of a Tory policy group led by Lord Heseltine, which called for mayors in Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle.
He told the conference: "Mike Whitby does a superb job of running Birmingham. But the point I am making is that over time elected mayors can really help to raise the profile of a city.
"They help with accountability, they help drive up turnout, they can help people have a sense that there is very strong leadership in your city.
"I believe elected mayors will help change the public perception of councils, making power visible, giving it a name and a face, and so making accountability obvious and real."
Mr Cameron said European cities run by elected mayors tended to be more successful and have a higher economic output. Afterwards, he said: "I disagree with almost everything Ken Livingstone does, but at least there is someone we can name and blame when things go wrong or praise when things go right."
He pointed out that a mechanism already existed to allow electors to have their say on mayors. If five per cent of a city's electors sign a petition, the local council must organise a referendum.
Coun Whitby (Con Harborne) said he did not agree with his party leader. He added: "Here in Birmingham, a majority of the members of the city council, elected by the people of the city, do not believe we should have a mayor.
"The cabinet has made it very clear - if there is genuine local support for a referendum then a petition of over 35,000 people, gathered within a year, would trigger one."
In Birmingham, a petition demanding the council hold a referendum is being compiled by the Birmingham Mail, the Post's sister paper.
Promising radical change, Mr Cameron also said a Conservative Government would abolish the West Midlands Regional Assembly, an advisory body consisting of 100 members representing councils, businesses, trade unions and faith groups.
The Conservatives would allow regional development agencies to continue where there was clear support from councils. However, if local councils wanted to join together to carry out the duties of RDAs, they would be able to do so.
AWM chief executive John Edwards insisted last night economic development would not work efficiently under the operation of individual local authorities. He said: "It is important to remember that as a regional development agency we work closely with business as well as the public sector."
