We also have a major problem – the people are not engaged in the political process.  Add to that a national media who are indifferent to Birmingham, and a local media weakened by the economic crisis, and you can see why Brummies are not as informed and engaged as they should be.

The turnout for the local elections and the referendum vote on 3 May 2012 was very low.  The majority of people did not know what they were voting for, the politicians did not bother to tell them – instead focussing on fighting their opponents.

We need to champion our city and the people of Birmingham.

We need to understand how we are governed and how we can make change happen.

We need to hold our politicians to account.

We need to take control of our destiny, to improve the outcomes for the many, to acknowledge that there are problems and that we need solutions.

The YES TO BIRMINGHAM campaign is dedicated to informing and engaging people – to take an interest, to take the responsibility to go out and vote; to get Birmingham’s politicians to deliver what the people want and to hold them to account.

There is no easy solution, no quick fix – but these are real issues and real lives.  Our city needs more equality, more fairness, more concern about all Brummies and how we can reduce poverty and increase the life chances of everyone.

We want all Brummies to sit up and take notice – this is our city, this is our home, now is the time to recognise that we have to make a difference and it is up to us to do it.

We hope you can support our campaign in whatever way you can.

Julia Higginbottom, Campaign Director

On Thursday 3 May Birmingham will hold a historic vote on whether to have an elected Mayor.  We are campaigning for a Yes vote from the people of Birmingham to make this change for the better – we need your help!

We need volunteers to help get the vote out for a YES.

We need people on the streets on Thursday and outside local polling stations.  You don’t need to be anything but a supporter who wants to make a difference.  We need people to hand out our campaign leaflets and speak to voters – we’ll even give you a YES t-shirt if you want!

Importantly we also need volunteers to help with the counts.  There are 2 crucial times we need help with:

Thursday 10pm – midnight

Volunteers to ensure the mayoral vote boxes are correctly sealed and separated from the council vote boxes at the local constituency centres.

We need a volunteer for each of the following centres:

Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Erdington, Tyseley, Bordesley Green, Washwood Heath, Northfield, Handsworth, Perry Barr, Sheldon.

Friday 2pm – 6pm

We need volunteers to be present at the actual counting of the votes at the ICC in the City Centre.

For both of these you will be at the heart of the action and playing a key role in local democracy ensuring that it is fair and properly carried out.

Remember, at the very least we need everyone using twitter and facebook to spread the word for a YES vote next Thursday.  Also retweet other supporters or write a blogpost about why you are going to vote YES for an elected mayor. Change your facebook picture to a Yes 2 Brum Mayor button or add a Twibbon to your twitter avatar.

Please contact us immediately if you can help!!!

Wednesday 2 May from 6pm til late

Upstairs at The Sun on the Hill, Bennetts Hill, Birmingham City Centre

All supporters, campaigners, candidates and Brummies generally are invited to our pre-election social this Wednesday evening at the Sun on the Hill in Central Birmingham.

Come and meet up with other YES supporters. Come and find out more, get YES t-shirts and flyers to use on election day, get more information on how you can help on Thursday and Friday, come and meet like-minded Brummies who want to vote YES for change in our great city.

We will be upstairs (Mezzanine) at the Sun on the Hill pub (on Bennetts Hill, next to the Briar Rose) this Wednesday from 6pm until late and look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible!

If you can, please RSVP to us here

Localise West Midlands have contacted us to let us know that they have produced a useful briefing on the differences between the elected Mayor system we are campaigning for and the current system of a leader and cabinet on the city council.

Their briefing can be found here: http://localisewestmidlands.org.uk/mayorsfactsheet/

Please send your postal Ballots back before 10 pm on Thursday May 3rd if you haven’t done so already and if you’re voting at your local polling station make sure you get there between 7am and 10pm. If you’re not sure of how, where and what to do, check out these weblinks for more information.

http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/elections

http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/how_do_i_vote.aspx

Remember if you are voting in favour of an elected mayor, then we are the 2nd box on the ballot paper.

Brum needs an elected mayor but importantly it needs you participating in our democracy and owning it’s decisions.

It’s a briefing paper from the website of Briefing on proposals for directly elected mayors
November, 2011
Background
The legislation allowing for directly elected mayors has been in place since 2000. Since the powers were introduced 37 referendums have taken place. 24 have been rejected and 13 approved. Currently 14 UK towns and cities have chosen to have directly elected mayors.
The post of mayor of London was introduced without a referendum in 2000. In Stoke on Trent local people voted in favour of a directly elected mayor in 2002 but in 2008 voted again, and choose to abolish the post.
The Localism Act requires a referendum to be held in May 2012 to decide whether to introduce directly elected mayors in England’s 11 largest towns (including Bristol). If supported, the government says an election for a directly elected mayor will take place ‘shortly after’, probably in May 2013.
The election for mayors will use the supplementary voting system, where a first and second choice can be cast. If no single candidate receives a majority the top two candidates go through to a second count, and other candidates are eliminated. If a voters first choice is eliminated their second vote is allocated.
What powers do existing elected mayors currently have?
Currently local authority elected mayors outside London have powers similar to those of the executive committee in a Leader and Cabinet model local authority such as Bristol. The mayor of London has extended powers particularly around transport, economic development and housing. Local authority elected mayors have:
o The power to appoint up to nine councillors as members of a cabinet and to delegate power (although the mayor remains ultimately accountable).
o Co-decision powers which the mayor shares with the council, notably the power to make the local authority’s annual budget and its policy framework documents.
What powers don’t directly elected mayors have?
Apart from council tax, elected mayors don’t currently have tax raising powers or powers over quasi-judicial decision making such as planning and licensing. 1
What is the difference between an elected mayor and a council leader?
Unlike council leaders, the Localism Act says that elected mayors will:
o Be elected on four year terms, during which they will not be able to be removed by the council members (unlike council leaders).
o Only need one third of councillors to agree the budget and local policy frameworks, in contrast to the majority required by the council leader.
o Have the option for greater administrative power by merging the role of the mayor and the chief executive.
The Localism Act enables the Secretary of State to confer new powers, and the functions of public bodies, onto elected mayors or any local authority. They will be eligible to make an application to the Secretary of State to take over other ‘local public functions that are a high priority for their communities’.
Consultation on proposed powers
The government is consulting on what other powers elected mayors should have (until Tuesday 3 January, 2012).
The consultation requires that any suggestions http://www.communities.gov.uk/news/corporate/2021265for powers for elected mayors’ should explain:
o What the benefits are that this would bring to the city and its people
o Why the mayor would be the most appropriate level for this responsibility.
o How this power would promote economic development or wealth creation or increase local accountability.
Find out more
Full details of the consultation on proposals for elected mayors can be found on the Department for Communities and Local Government website

In an afternoon focusing on what an elected mayor could do for Birmingham, two panels were questioned on how Birmingham can address crucial issues including jobs, transport, law and order, the digital economy and engaging young people.  The first panel included experts on business, transport, local politics and regeneration and environmental issues who challenged the candidates to address a number of key points:
-       How will they create jobs and growth?
-       How will they support the whole of the city economically and not just the city centre?
-       What will they do to improve the public transport network?
-       How will they improve the health outcomes for Brummies?
-       What powers will they wrestle from Whitehall?

The second panel saw Desmond Jaddoo, Sion Simon, Liam Byrne, Dr Mirza Ahmed and Sir Albert Bore take the stage to set out their pitches and address the questions raised by the audience.
-       Desmond Jaddoo focussed on engagement, particularly with young people, and energising the electorate for the referendum and a potential mayoral election in November.
-       Sion Simon set out a number of detailed policies including night buses and taking control of the bus and rail networks, as well as obtaining devolved funding from Whitehall in a number of key areas.
-       Liam Byrne set out several policy ideas, again transport was a key theme along with his pledge to create jobs for the city
-       Mirza Ahmed gave a cogent explanation of the legal powers a Mayor of Birmingham would immediately get which would be greater than those of the Mayor of London.
-       Sir Albert Bore emphasised the need for a mobility plan for Birmingham, again focussing on transport as a key issue.

The Town Hall  opened in 1834, when Birmingham was at the forefront of the protests for national democratic reform, It was an important symbol for the City of Birmingham and was the place where local government met until the Council House opened in the 1870s. Since then it has been a centre for debate with politicians and prime misters such as Joseph Chamberlain, William Gladstone, David Lloyd George, Neville Chamberlain, Clement Atlee, Neil Kinnock and Margaret Thatcher all speaking here in this hall.

And whilst writing this speech I have thought a lot about how I ended up here and who I am, to be standing here on this hallowed stage, asking YOU  to imagine a future under an elected Mayor, asking YOU to change the way we govern our city?.

And my story is relevant as it is the typical story of most Birmingham residents. I am a 40-year-old mum of 2 and small family business owner.. My children have been schooled here, and my business has flourished here.  My business like most businesses has it ups and downs and like most suffers from a lack of market opportunities, skills and finance. I have been frustrated as the costs of running my business are escalating whilst our market shrinks, shifts or is being overregulated, with little sense of where we fit into city’s plan or even a sense of where we can get help and be supported  or even valued by the city.

I work in digital media and received wisdom is that we should have followed the talent drain to London, Manchester or Bristol because the job offer and quality of life are seen as more vibrant and exciting.

So why didn’t I? Instead I did the opposite: I have worked and lived in Birmingham for 14 years, moving here from Bromsgrove to Balsall Heath. This move has really inspired me,  through connecting with the amazing stories that Brum doesn’t tell easily. We live in a well established community that is caring, complex, diverse and troubled and the inspirational people I have met and the stories I have heard have somehow led me to this grassroots, non –partisan campaign that resonates with the civic mindedness of this great City.

Joseph Chamberlain’ story is my inspiration in this..He became mayor of Birmingham at the age of 37. He was not what would now be called a career politician. He had spent his early life running family businesses – trading in ironware and shoes. But his experiences equipped him well for civic life. After just three years as mayor, he was able to boast quoting Augustus that he had left his city “parked, paved, assized, marketed, gas and watered and improved.”

His influence is still evident today, from the parks that jewel the city, to the fine architecture of the buildings on Corporation Street and the University. And his legacy is more than physical: he’s become a symbol of what good local government can achieve, and inspired generations of people who believe in public service in their city. This belief is echoed daily by the councillors working in our communities who too have chosen this path of public service and for this they should be nurtured and empowered. Chamberlain represented a particular brand of leadership that we need again, to inspire in this city today and in the future. He was an individual who assumed the captaincy and accountability of this city, exercised broad powers, and set a clear personal vision. The Yes to Mayor Campaign believes this vision has been lost and  that an Elected Mayor will bring a new  vision and visibility to the city, and can help elected councillors and us, the citizens of this city to become braver, stronger more cohesive.

Today, the great challenge before us is one of economic growth, jobs and sustainability. The battle for Britain’s prosperity will be won or lost in our cities. It is a challenge on a global scale. Birmingham, whilst being the second largest city economy in the United Kingdom, is only the 71st largest in the world. The world’s economic power is shifting from West to East, North to South. Where, when it comes to competing for the brightest employees and the best investment, you don’t just have to compete with Bristol, but Brasilia too. Our cities have great strengths and a proud history, but they need to fight harder than ever to be heard in world that is changing. Vigorous local leadership is becoming more important as each new challenge emerges.

The Minister for Cities Greg Clark, said this when he came to Birmingham:

“It is self evident that each of our cities is distinct and unique. Bristol and Newcastle, Manchester and Leicester, they all have different ambitions, different assets. No team of ministers or officials in London – no matter how bright or well-intentioned – can devise one set of solutions that fit these very different circumstances. To achieve their ambitions, to fulfil their potential, cities need to take charge of their own destinies. The drive must come from within, not without.

Where we can see strong leadership, complemented by clear accountability to local people, we in central Government are ready to help cities do things their way. Our great cities should not be run as branch offices of central Government. This may turn the established order on its head, but it’s time that Whitehall knew its place. Let Birmingham be Birmingham”.

After 18months of talking to and negotiating with many about this I believe that the Localism Act and those in government genuinely want to begin devolution in England, and are ready to give executive powers including tax raising, budget controlling and infrastructure to the cities. Powers that are right and necessary to solve each city’s needs, letting us have the increased freedoms we need, tailored to our individual circumstances. We can all contribute to defining what these powers should/could be; leading to a more open and transparent governance of our city.

And you might reasonably ask why not just give those powers to the existing Council model. You could indeed do that, but for me it comes down to this vital difference:

Local leadership can come in many forms. Look at the council producing plans for the city centre, securing improvements to New Street Station, and getting the new library underway. The new Local Enterprise Partnership, (whilst not yet really hitting it’s stride like other LEPs) did secure the involvement of Andy Street – the MD of John Lewis – one of Britain’s most outstanding business leaders in one of Britain’s most admired companies. So we have some big shiny baubles highlighting the City. But how is this addressing the structural unemployment, the riots and severe deprivation in parts of our community. How do we solve those less sexy, bauble poor, problems? Will we end up redeveloping the City to the extent we push out more socially deprived Brummies into at best forgotten corners or at worst ghettos?

And how about the perception of the council itself and its’ staff, seen by many as not such a great place to do civic business with and isn’t even  in the top 100 places to work in the UK . Should it not have that aspiration for it’s staff and clients, us Brummies.

The Big City plan is a “Masterplan” with little evidence of where we the residents fit into it. It imagines a future of redeveloped splendour but has no room for the barnacles of social exclusion and community disintegration and no cohesive plans of what to do with them. It makes the centre strong but forgets the power of the communities outside the ring road and fails to invest in them, their infrastructure and their leadership.

Some forms of leadership are better suited than others in helping cities reach their full potential. The experience, both in this country and abroad, suggests that the leadership model with the greatest promise of all is the elected mayor.

Research undertaken on behalf of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation in 2005 found that the democratic mandate provided by directly elected mayors has “provided a basis for a stronger, more proactive style of leadership than other models.”The world’s great cities have mayors who lead for their city on the national and international stage, attracting investment and jobs. Look at the cities that Birmingham is twinned with: Chicago, Frankfurt, Lyon, Milan and my birth town of Johannesburg. All led by an executive mayor.

I believe that mayors can help all us Brummies achieve our full potential too.

You may see this as rhetoric, however:

• Mayors have clout – a personal mandate to speak truth to central Government, to argue for the interests of those they represent.

• Mayors are visible – with a profile that makes them natural ambassadors for their cities, especially when it comes to attracting investment as well as visible leaders to their communities.

• And with a four-year term, mayors have the space to think for the long term, to make tough strategic decisions, to get public and private sectors working together effectively.

In short, I believe that mayors have the greatest potential of any leadership model. To  those who worry that these proposals represent an imposition on communities – I would say that, on the contrary, referendums give people a chance to look at the evidence and decide for themselves. Some will say that our reach for awareness has not succeeded far enough but we have tried hard to engage and will continue to do more to referendum day and beyond,. All we are hoping to do is inspire the debate…and enable the citizens of Birmingham to engage with the governance of their own City.

With one of the youngest populations in Birmingham, we are looking too at what a Youth Mayor could do to energise and engage young people within this process.

And if we say Yes, The new mayor should be in place sooner rather than later to get on with the job, with a strong public mandate and a dialogue started before they take office. We, as a grassroots campaign have been able to influence that this process and the conversation needs to continue – and make this a day that we hope will be a landmark in the shift of powers and influence from Whitehall to our communities.

In the end I believe Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute, to making something extraordinary happen. A directly elected Mayor chosen by a majority of Brummies with a clear manifesto and mandate could ignite our inner potential. It isn’t a quick fix and certainly on it’s own won’t be the great remedy for all ills that some might offer. It instead offers us the once in a generation opportunity to show that we need our voice to be heard, to start a process that may need to go further or be re evaluated from time to time. More importantly than that if we don’t get something approaching this kind of change, I believe we will continue to fail to retain our skilled staff, attract investment and new workers, continue to disenfranchise young people within our community and more importantly fail to empower our citizens to own their choices and their right to a high quality of life. There is much to praise about what Birmingham and Brummies, new and old have achieved and we have a solid foundation with a plentiful civic resource in our  residents to build on.

And as someone who found themselves on this stage because like so many others I care about this City, I believe that empowering others to interact and engage with the governance of our City is the core of this Campaign.

And so I ask you to ask not only What a Mayor could do for you, but also what WE Brummies could do with and for a Mayor? Now it’s over to you. This May, you will have the chance to have your say. Now is the time to seriously weigh up what a mayor can do for your city, and so I welcome today’s debate as just such an opportunity.