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Mayor of Liverpool

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For the ceremonial office of Lord Mayor of Liverpool, see Lord Mayor of Liverpool. For the Metro Mayor of the Liverpool Region, see Mayor of the Liverpool City Region. For the office in New South Wales, Australia, see List of mayors of Liverpool (New South Wales).

Mayor of Liverpool
Arms of Liverpool City Council
StyleNo title
AppointerElectorate of Liverpool
Term lengthFour years
Inaugural holderJoe Anderson
Formation7 May 2012
Final holderJoanne Anderson
Abolished2023
SuccessionLeader of Liverpool City Council
DeputyDeputy Mayor of Liverpool

From 2012 to 2023, the mayor of Liverpool was the executive mayor of the city of Liverpool in England.[1] The office was abolished in 2023 and its functions were replaced with the leader of Liverpool City Council.

The mayor of Liverpool was previously branded 'the most powerful politician in England outside the capital', until metro-mayors were elected from 2016, such as the similarly named but separate mayor of the Liverpool City Region.[2][3]

During 2012, Liverpool City Council decided at a council meeting to adopt the elected mayor executive arrangements, bypassing the typical practice of a local referendum as was planned that year in other cities. On 5 May 2012, former leader of Liverpool City Council Joe Anderson became Liverpool's first elected mayor. In December 2020, when Anderson was arrested on suspicion of bribery and witness intimidation, he maintained his innocence but said that he would not seek re-election.[4] A referendum in Liverpool was due to be held in 2023 on the continuation of the mayoralty,[5] but the city council voted to abolish the position from the May 2023 elections following public consultation.[6]

Role and powers of the mayor

[edit]

The mayor was elected by the residents of Liverpool for a four-year period and was responsible for the executive functions of Liverpool City Council and for the day-to-day running of the organisation. They were charged with leading the city, building investor confidence, and directing new resources to economic priorities. The mayor did not have responsibility for setting the Council budget or formulating policy framework plans as these remained with the city council. The mayor appointed a cabinet of two or more councillors (also called the "Executive"), who did not have to be from the same political party:[7][8][9][10] the mayor decided on the size of the cabinet and to what extent executive functions were delegated. The mayor also benefitted from so called 'soft powers' conferred on them by being directly elected, which enabled them to influence, persuade and co-ordinate on a wider scale.[11]

The mayor was entitled to sit on the proposed "Cabinet of Mayors", along with the other directly elected mayors in England and Wales. Such a position allows a direct route to the prime minister and other senior ministers. Cabinet meetings were to be held at least twice a year offering the opportunity to discuss local issues with decision-makers in Whitehall.[12]

In July 2022, Liverpool City Council voted to scrap the directly-elected mayor position, replacing it with a leader and cabinet model. The changes took effect from May 2023.[13]

Mayor for Liverpool City Region

[edit]

A number of commentators[who?] had expressed disappointment[vague] that the mayor's remit did not cover the entire metropolitan area of Liverpool, or the Liverpool City Region. A 2011 report by former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine and Terry Leahy argued that a directly elected mayor should cover the six districts of the Liverpool City Region. The report argued that "in marketing terms Liverpool is a world class brand" and "it would be perverse to do other than embrace the wider area within an identity recognised across the globe."[14]

After opposition from the boroughs of Wirral, St Helens and Sefton,[15][16][17] the idea of a city region mayor was dropped. Minister for Cities, Greg Clark, ruled out the move as "too difficult for now", citing the need for fresh primary legislation and a reorganisation of local government boundaries as practical barriers to the concept.[18]

In November 2015, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority agreed to a devolution deal with government that resulted in the creation of a 'metro mayor' for the city region. Elections were held in 2017, and Steve Rotheram was elected.[19]

Elections

[edit]
The supplementary vote system

The mayor was elected by the supplementary vote system for a period of four years. Each voter lists both a first and second choice candidate. If no-one gets more than 50% of the vote the second choices are allocated to the top two candidates.[20]

2021

[edit]
See also: 2021 Liverpool City Council election

Background

[edit]

In December 2020, Mayor Joe Anderson was arrested on suspicion of bribery and witness intimidation; he said he would not seek re-election.[4] Deputy Mayor Wendy Simon exercised the powers and duties of the office of Mayor of Liverpool from 2020 to 2021 after Anderson temporarily stepped aside in December 2020. Although Anderson formally remained as Mayor until the end of his term, Simon performed Anderson's duties.[21]

A referendum in Liverpool was held in 2023 on the continuation of the mayoralty.[22]

Labour Party mayoral selection

[edit]

Eight candidates declared their intention to become the Labour candidate for Mayor of Liverpool.[23][24] This was short-listed down to three female city councillors: acting mayor Wendy Simon, former deputy mayor Ann O'Byrne and current Lord Mayor Anna Rothery. The result of the internal selection was due to be announced on 5 March. Rothery was endorsed by Dawn Butler MP,[25] Dan Carden MP,[26] Ian Byrne MP,[26] and Jeremy Corbyn, former Leader of the Labour Party and MP for Islington North,[27] as well as Unite the Union.[25]

However,[28][29] when ballots were supposed to go out in mid-February the party halted the process to re-interview candidates.[26] The Labour Party then decided to re-open the selection process and barred all three original candidates from standing, without any reason being given.[30][31][32] Councillor Joanne Anderson was later selected to be Labour's candidate for the city.

Result

[edit]
Liverpool Mayoral Election 6 May 2021[33]
Party Candidate 1st round 2nd round 1st round votesTransfer votes, 2nd round
Total Of round Transfers Total Of round
Labour Joanne Anderson 38,958 38.15% 7,535 46,493 59.2%
​​
Independent Stephen Yip 22,047 21.79% 10,032 32,079 40.8%
​​
Liberal Democrats Richard Kemp 17,166 16.79%
​​
Green Tom Crone 8,768 8.67%
​​
Liberal Steve Radford 7,135 7.05%
​​
Conservative Katie Burgess 4,187 4.14%
​​
TUSC Roger Bannister 2,912 2.88%
​​
Registered electors 336,382
Turnout 101,173 30.51%
Rejected ballots 3,978
Labour hold

2016

[edit]
Liverpool Mayoral Election 5 May 2016[34]
Party Candidate 1st round 2nd round 1st round votesTransfer votes, 2nd round
Total Of round Transfers Total Of round
Labour Joe Anderson 51,332 52.6%
​​
Liberal Democrats Richard Kemp 20,598 21.1%
​​
Green Tom Crone 10,609 10.9%
​​
TUSC Roger Bannister 4,950 5.1%
​​
Independent Alan Hutchinson 3,964 4.1%
​​
Conservative Tony Caldeira 3,533 3.6%
​​
English Democrat Paul Duane Rimmer 2,590 2.7%
​​
Registered electors 315,909
Turnout 97,576 30.9%
Rejected ballots 1,539
Labour hold

2012

[edit]
Liverpool Mayoral Election 3 May 2012[35][36]
Party Candidate 1st round 2nd round 1st round votesTransfer votes, 2nd round
Total Of round Transfers Total Of round
Labour Joe Anderson 58,448 59.33%
​​
Independent Liam Fogarty 8,292 8.42%
​​
Liberal Democrats Richard Kemp 6,238 6.33%
​​
Green John Coyne 5,175 5.25%
​​
TUSC Tony Mulhearn 4,792 4.86%
​​
Liberal Steve Radford 4,442 4.51%
​​
Conservative Tony Caldeira 4,425 4.49%
​​
UKIP Adam Heatherington 2,352 2.39%
​​
English Democrat Paul Rimmer 1,400 1.42%
​​
Liverpool Independent Party Jeff Berman 1,362 1.38%
​​
BNP Mike Whitby 1,015 1.03%
​​
National Front Peter Tierney 453 0.57%
​​
Registered electors 319,758
Turnout 98,507 31.68%
Rejected ballots
Labour win

List of mayors

[edit]

Joe Anderson was the inaugural holder of the office of Mayor of Liverpool, first elected in 2012. He indefinitely handed over the powers and duties of the office to his deputy mayor, Wendy Simon, in December 2020 following a bribery scandal. Simon served as acting mayor until the 2021 mayoral election, when Joanne Anderson (no relation to Joe Anderson) was elected.

  Denotes service as acting mayor
  Labour
  Independent
# Name Entered office Left office Deputy Mayor Photo
1 Joe Anderson 7 May 2012 10 May 2021 (on leave, 10 December 2020-10 May 2021) Ann O'Byrne
Wendy Simon
- Wendy Simon 10 December 2020 10 May 2021 Lynnie Hinnigan
2 Joanne Anderson 10 May 2021 7 May 2023 Jane Corbett

Fairness

[edit]

A multi-agency Fairness Commission reported to Mayor Anderson in May 2012, making recommendations on how Liverpool could become "a fairer, more inclusive and equitable city". As a result Anderson commissioned further work on the adoption of social value as an objective of commissioning and procurement within the city.[37]

Salary

[edit]

The Mayor of Liverpool was paid £77,039.89 in 2012–13.[38] Since 2013, they have been paid £79,500 per annum.[39][40] An independent panel of experts[who?] had recommended that the Mayor's salary should be closer to £80,000[when?] which is intended to reflect the size and population of the city, as well as the role and responsibilities associated with the position both in terms of the executive functions and proposing and implementing of key strategic plans.[41][42]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Liverpool council votes to elect city mayor". BBC News. 7 February 2012. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  2. ^ "Liverpool's first elected Mayor". 4 May 2012. Archived from the original on 24 August 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  3. ^ Topping, Alexandra (4 May 2012). "Labour's Joe Anderson elected Liverpool mayor". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  4. ^ a b Pidd, Helen (1 January 2021). "Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson withdraws from elections". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Liverpool city mayor: Labour confirms referendum in 2023". BBC News. 21 January 2021. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  6. ^ Thorp, Liam (20 July 2022). "Liverpool Council votes to remove the position of elected mayor". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Liverpool elected mayor". 9 February 2012. Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  8. ^ "The role of mayor". Liverpool City Council. 2012. Archived from the original on 28 July 2012. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
  9. ^ "Directly-elected mayors – Parliament UK" (PDF). 19 April 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  10. ^ David Bartlett (5 May 2012). "Joe Anderson appoints rivals as key advisors in first task as Liverpool mayor". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  11. ^ "Will new elected mayors have the necessary powers to succeed?". 1 May 2012. Archived from the original on 8 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  12. ^ Niven, Rosie (27 April 2012). "Cabinet of mayors proves controversial offer to local authorities". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 9 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  13. ^ Thorp, Liam. "Liverpool Council votes to remove the position of elected mayor". Liverpool Echo. Liverpool Echp. Retrieved 21 July 2022.
  14. ^ "Liverpool elected mayor: City region proposals 'beyond the pale'". BBC News. 30 April 2012. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  15. ^ Geoff Barnes (9 September 2011). "A Merseyside mayor ruling over Wirral blasted as 'madcap idea'". Wirral Globe. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  16. ^ "St Helens' Labour party object to city region mayor bid". St Helen's Star. 1 September 2011. Archived from the original on 20 November 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  17. ^ "Plan for elected Merseyside mayor comes under attack". Southport – Online News. 26 October 2011. Archived from the original on 19 November 2015. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  18. ^ "Liverpool's referendum on elected Mayor confirmed for May 3 2012". 17 November 2011. Archived from the original on 27 July 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2012.
  19. ^ "Liverpool 'metro mayor' results: Labour's Steve Rotheram elected". BBC. Archived from the original on 27 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
  20. ^ "How the votes are counted – Liverpool City Council". Liverpool.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  21. ^ "Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson steps aside amid bribery probe". BBC News. 10 December 2020. Archived from the original on 10 December 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  22. ^ "Liverpool city mayor: Labour confirms referendum in 2023". BBC News. 21 January 2021. Archived from the original on 3 February 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  23. ^ Thorp, Liam (29 January 2021). "Eight names enter contest to replace Joe Anderson". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  24. ^ Rodgers, Sienna (20 January 2021). "New Liverpool mayor candidate to be selected by Labour in six weeks". LabourList. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  25. ^ a b "Trade unionist candidate for Liverpool Mayor receives endorsement from socialist MPs". Morning Star. 14 February 2021. Archived from the original on 16 February 2021. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
  26. ^ a b c Thorp, Liam (19 February 2021). "City MPs Dan Carden and Ian Byrne back Anna Rothery for Mayor". Liverpool Echo. Reach plc. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  27. ^ Thorp, Liam (9 February 2021). "Jeremy Corbyn backs Anna Rothery for Mayor of Liverpool". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  28. ^ "Liverpool city mayoral elections: Three women seek Labour nod". BBC News. 7 February 2021. Archived from the original on 7 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  29. ^ Thorp, Liam (1 February 2021). "Labour Liverpool Mayor contest shortlisted to final three". Liverpool Echo. Reach plc. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  30. ^ Thorp, Liam (23 February 2021). "Labour reopens applications for Liverpool Mayor nominations". Liverpool Echo. Reach plc. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  31. ^ Pidd, Helen (23 February 2021). "Labour scraps all-female shortlist for Liverpool mayor". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  32. ^ "Liverpool city mayoral election: Labour scraps shortlist". BBC News. 23 February 2021. Archived from the original on 23 February 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2021.
  33. ^ "Election results for Liverpool Mayoral Election – Thursday, 6th May, 2021". Liverpool City Council. 2 October 2021. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  34. ^ "Election results for Whole District Mayoral Election – Thursday, 5th May, 2016". Liverpool City Council. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  35. ^ Topping, Alexandra (4 May 2012). "Labour's Joe Anderson elected Liverpool mayor". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
  36. ^ "Election results for Liverpool Mayoral Election – Thursday, 3rd May, 2012". Liverpool City Council. Liverpool. 2 October 2021. Archived from the original on 2 October 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  37. ^ Liverpool City Council, Mayoral Commission for Social Value, Findings Report, published October 2013
  38. ^ "Liverpool City Council – Mayor and Councillors' Allowances 2012-13" (PDF). Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  39. ^ "Liverpool City Council – Mayor and Councillors' Allowances 2013-14" (PDF). Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  40. ^ "Liverpool City Council – Mayor and Councillors' Allowances 2014-15" (PDF). Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2016.
  41. ^ "Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson rejects £80,000 salary recommendation for lower wage". Liverpool Echo. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
  42. ^ "Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson to take £66,000 salary". BBC Liverpool. 23 May 2012. Archived from the original on 26 May 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2012.
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