Lewisham Lib Dem councillors are supporting a campaign to scrap the mayoral system in Lewisham. Despite having 54 democratically elected councillors in the borough, Lewisham Council is run by a single individual: the executive Mayor of Lewisham.

The issue was highlighted at a recent council meeting where the majority of councillors called on the Mayor to abandon plans to demolish Ladywell Leisure Centre. However, the Mayor intends to press ahead regardless. Councillors also voted to accept a minority report written by Lib Dem Councillor Julia Fletcher and former LEAP Councillor Helen Le Fevre. The report criticised the decision making process in relation to the establishment of a new secondary school on the Ladywell site.

The campaign to scrap the mayoral system was recently launched by community activists and supported by councillors from the Lib Dems, the Greens, the Socialists and the Conservatives. The campaign, entitled "Bring Back Democracy", aims to collect 9,000 signatures on a petition calling for a referendum on the mayoral system.

Councillor Julia Fletcher commented, "The Mayoral system has failed the people of Lewisham. It's time we returned to a more democratic system."

June 2006