Councillors reject an immediate move to scrap role of mayor

OPPOSITION MOTION DEFEATED - BUT THE POST IS EXPECTED TO BE AXED, WITH A VOTE NEXT YEAR

- By HANNAH RICHARDSON

THE city mayor role is a “failed experiment”, its opponents have claimed - but councillors rejected an immediate move to scrap it.

A motion put to the city council on Thursday calling for a change of political structure, with a timeline agreed in the next three months, was defeated.

However, mayor Sir Peter Soulsby has already said he believes the post is likely to be scrapped and has promised a vote at least a year before the post would next be elected, in 2027.

If the government accepts the council's proposed extension of the city boundaries, the role would also be scrapped, ministers have indicated.

The motion to full council was proposed by Conservative leader Hemant Rae Bhatia.

He said there was evidence of leadership failure in critical reports on children’s services, adult social care and youth justice, plus council housing.

The motion also referred to a recent employment case which saw courts uphold a finding of racial discrimination by the council against a former member of staff.

Coun Bhatia told the meeting: “The question is simple: Who should hold the power to shape Leicester's future - one individual or the elected representatives of the wards?