Directly elected mayor of Liverpool
| Mayor of Liverpool | |
|---|---|
Arms of Liverpool City Council
|
|
| Style | No title |
| Appointer | Electorate of Liverpool |
| Term length | Four years |
| Inaugural holder | Joe Anderson |
| Formation | 2012 |
The Mayor of Liverpool is the executive mayor of the City of Liverpool in England. The incumbent is the former Leader of Liverpool City Council, Joe Anderson, of the Labour Party. The Mayor of Liverpool has been branded 'the most powerful politician in England outside the capital'.
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, Joe Anderson became Liverpool's first elected mayor.
The mayor is elected by the residents of Liverpool for a four-year period and is responsible for executive functions of Liverpool City Council and for the day-to-day running of the organisation. They are charged with leading the city, building investor confidence, and directing new resources to economic priorities. The mayor does not have responsibility for setting the Council budget or formulating policy framework plans as this remains with the city council. The mayor must appoint a cabinet of two or more councillors (also called the "Executive") who do not have to be from the same political party. The mayor decides on the size of the cabinet and to what extent executive functions may be delegated. The mayor also benefits from so called 'soft powers' conferred on them by being directly elected, which enables them to influence, persuade and co-ordinate on a wider scale.
The Mayor of Liverpool is 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 will be held at least twice a year offering the opportunity to discuss local issues with decision-makers in Whitehall.
A number of commentators had expressed disappointment that the Mayor's remit does 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."
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