Tories Campaign to Replace H&F Council Leader with Elected Mayor

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Former council leader Stephen Greenhalgh hopes to take on role without pay

 

Local Tories are campaigning to replace H&F's Labour Council Leader with a directly elected Mayor.

Former council leader Stephen Greenhalgh, pictured above, is putting himself forward as the Conservative candidate for the role, which he says would be unpaid.

A website, Say Yes to H&F Mayor has already been set up, and a petition launched. The Tories say that if 6,400 signatures are received for H&F to follow four other London boroughs which already have mayors - Hackney, Lewisham, Newham, and Tower Hamlets - a referendum will be held on the issue.

Harry Phibbs, who was a Ravenscourt Park Ward councillor until being defeated in the last local election, has given his reasons for supporting the campaign, saying: "The present arrangements are working poorly. The council leader lacks proper accountability. There is too much cronyism and buck passing. Labour have a large majority of the Council and so feel they can get away with anything.

"Over the past year they have increased Council Tax by 4.7 per cent, despite pledging not to. They have increased spending on councillor allowances by over £62,000. The council leader is only really accountable to the Labour Group of councillors - so nearly all of them are paid a 'Special Responsibility Allowance' supposedly for chairing occasional committee meetings.

"They have closed Hammersmith Bridge. Planning approval for unwanted tower blocks is waved through.

"There is a placebo arrangement of 'Residents Commissions' being established and their recommendations accepted - but then not actually implemented. The council leader keeps telling us what a caring person he is but the repairs and maintenance for council tenants gets worse and worse while costs spiral.

"A directly elected mayor would mean a more personal relationship with the residents. The role of party politics would be diminished. My friend Stephen Greenhalgh is putting forward the proposal and makes no secret that if it was adopted he would put himself forward to be the Conservative candidate.

" I don't agree with Stephen on everything. During the EU referendum I backed Vote Leave while he was a leading organiser for the Stronger In campaign in London. When he was council leader some mistakes were made - notably on planning issues. But overall his record is very impressive.

"He presided over a cut in Council Tax and an improvement in local services. He fought hard to ensure fantastic new schools opened. Then he went on to work for Boris Johnson as the Deputy Mayor for Policing in London. On Stephen's watch crime fell in the capital - and the number of police on the front line increased despite a reduction in the budget.

"We will await to see what new policies he has for the borough but those credentials are a pretty encouraging starting point. I would hope that even those who not normally Conservative supporters may be persuaded that he would provide effective leadership.

"A directly elected Mayor would not be an extra post. It would replace the role of council leader. While the present council leader claims £55,126.70p a year in Council Taxpayer funded allowances for his part time role, Stephen has pledged he will accept no payments at all. So that will be an immediate saving."

You can read more about the proposal here.