Green councillors in Brighton and Hove are calling for an emergency full council meeting to discuss Labour’s proposal for a Sussex-wide mayor.
A far-reaching decision is due to be made tomorrow (Thursday 9 January) by the council’s cabinet – made up of 10 Labour councillors – the Grens said.
It would “fast-track a move which would see Brighton and Hove come under the control of a Sussex-wide mayor”.
The last time an elected mayor was proposed to run Brighton and Hove, a referendum was held and the proposal was overwhelmingly rejected. Labour lost their council majority at the next local elections.
The Greens said: “A white paper on devolution was released by the government shortly before Christmas. The decision that cabinet is taking will be made less than a month later.
“Green councillors have slammed the move, highlighting the speed with which the decision will have been made and the lack of any kind of public consultation.
“Greens say this first step should have been a decision for full council to make – allowing all councillors to discuss the issue rather than a handful of Labour members.
“(They) are calling for any final decisions on large-scale changes to local democracy to be subject to a binding referendum.”
Steve Davis, the Green opposition leader on the council, said: “The proposals going before cabinet tomorrow represent a step towards some of the largest changes to local democracy that we have seen in recent history.
“Labour has absolutely no mandate for these plans which have been drawn up in haste, leaving very little time for proper scrutiny.
“Labour are taking a huge gamble with our city’s future which, based on the last elections, could see it put under the control of a Tory or even Reform mayor.
“This is a clear example of politics being done to people, not for them – the residents of Brighton and Hove deserve to have their say on this massive decision.”
The East Sussex County Council and West Sussex County Council cabinets are holding similar meetings tomorrow.
The aim is for a joint submission to the government by the two county councils and Brighton and Hove City Council this week.