Calstock Parish Council is encouraging local residents to sign a petition supporting a referendum on the creation of a Mayor for Cornwall position.

Proposals from Cornwall Council, who are currently in ongoing negotiations with the Government in Westminster to secure a new County Deal, would see greater devolution of powers to the county. However, associated documents suggest that to ensure the maximum possible devolution, this would require the creation of a mayoral position, who would have their own staff, budget and choice of Cabinet.

The parish council believe that such a system should only be implemented if the people of Cornwall support it and are now calling on Cornwall Council and local Cornwall Councillors from surrounding town and parish councils to ensure that there is a referendum of all voters in Cornwall on whether to introduce this significant change.

Despite Cornwall Council leader Linda Taylor stating in May that it was ‘premature’ to speak of whether Cornwall was to have a mayor, subsequent consensus from local Cornwall Councillors has been against the idea of a mayor, with criticisms centering on the undemocratic nature of the role and cost to the taxpayer - estimated to be up to £1 million.

Cornwall Councillor for Calstock Dorothy Kirk said: ‘The decision should be made by referendum of the Cornish people, not a handful of councillors in Truro. My instinct is against it; our system should be democratic and not autocratic. I don’t see what the advantages would be here. Working together is better.’

Cross-party, single issue campaign group Let Cornwall Decide (comprised of councillors and non-councillors), who launched the petition calling for a referendum, have highlighted the importance of referendums on this issue by drawing reference to Torbay and Bristol, which have recently seen the position scrapped for their respective areas due to voter concerns surrounding cost and effectiveness of the role. Under policy, if the petition reaches over 5,000 signatures it can be presented and debated at a full meeting of Cornwall Council.

Cornwall Councillor Andrew Long, Mebyon Kernow’s representative for Callington and St Dominick, labelled the proposition as ‘the worst idea ever’ and, in vehement opposition, said: ‘One person will be given far too much power and this would be really bad for Cornwall. What we need is a direct assembly and to make decisions as people collectively. We can not just throw away democracy, nor should it be held to ransom. This decision comes from a Conservative Party based in London who don’t see Cornwall as somwhere people actually live, instead it’s just viewed by them as a playground for the rich and famous.’

The petition can be found at: http://www.change.org/p/mayor-of-cornwall-referendum-let-cornwall-decide