2012 English mayoral referendums

[1] Parliamentary approval was granted for referendums to be held in Birmingham,[2] Bradford,[3] Bristol,[4] Coventry,[5] Leeds,[6] Manchester,[7] Newcastle upon Tyne,[8] Nottingham,[9] Sheffield[10] and Wakefield.

Leicester City Council voted to introduce a mayor in 2010 without holding a referendum, and an election was held in 2011 for the position.

[14] In addition, Doncaster Borough Council decided to hold a referendum on the same day, to determine whether to retain their elected mayoral system, having been one of the earliest authorities to adopt one, in 2001.

Directly elected mayorship in the United Kingdom was first established by Tony Blair's Labour Government with the creation of the Mayor of London.

These figures included two referendums held in Stoke-on-Trent, the first in 2002 that had approved the creation of a directly elected mayor, and the second in 2008 that had seen the electorate vote to abolish the position.

In the 2010 general election, they did win power, albeit in a coalition government with the Liberal Democrats, and Prime Minister David Cameron reaffirmed his previous commitment to hold a series of referendums on whether to introduce mayors for the biggest English cities.

[18] The Department for Communities and Local Government launched a consultation on 1 November 2011 to decide what powers any newly created city mayors could have at their disposal.

The Conservatives were the only party in the city to openly support the introduction of a mayor, whilst Labour adopted a neutral approach of "let the people decide".

The Labour leader of Leeds City Council criticised the proposals for an elected mayor as "utter madness",[38] whilst the Conservative and Liberal Democrat group leaders on the City Council also both expressed their opposition to the plan, and advocated a 'no' vote.

[57] Although critical of the post, Wakefield Council leader Peter Box suggested he would put his name forward if the referendum was passed.