THE man behind a bid to get an elected mayor for Liverpool last night spoke of his sadness at the level of apathy towards politics in the city.

Campaigner Liam Fogarty said he was pleased with David Cameron’s announcement that cities like Liverpool would hold a referendum to decide if they should be run by a directly-elected mayor within one year of a Tory government taking power.

The policy forms part of the Conservatives’ drive to hand more powers to local government.

Last night leading Liberal Democrats from the ruling administration on the city council and the Labour opposition were once again united in their opposition to an elected mayor for Liverpool.

In about two years Mr Fogarty’s campaign has collected only 11,000 of the 17,100 signatures it needs to force a vote (5% of the electorate), but each signature is only valid for one year.

Last night he said he was not waiting for a Conservative government but would continue to collect paper signatures and was keenly awaiting the introduction of e-petitioning which should make the collection of signatures easier.

“The campaign has stalled,” said Mr Fogarty. “I probably underestimated the scale of the challenge. I take personal responsibility.

“After the Henshaw-Storey collapse there was a sense that anything was possible because things could not go on.

“I have been saddened by the apathy [in the city] and the sense that politics just keeps failing people. This is all about getting people interested in politics.”

He said elected councillors were right to be fearful of an elected mayor.

“The system is supposed to be about us, the voters, not the elected members. Sometimes they lose sight of that.”

Former education supremo Liberal Democrat, Cllr Paul Clein, said putting so much power into one pair of hands would be a recipe for malpractice and corruption.

Labour leader Cllr Joe Anderson said that the fact Mr Fogarty had failed to get enough signatures was evidence the public was not in favour of an elected mayor for the city.

He said: “There is no appetite for an elected mayor in Liverpool.”

The Conservative plans would also allow residents to veto high council tax rises, instigating local referendums on local issues, allow councils to take over functions from regional development agencies, and new powers to discount business rates for certain businesses like post offices or rural pubs.

TO GET involved in the debate and to read a guest blog by Liam Fogarty on his campaign visit, see blogs.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/dalestreetblues

davidbartlett