MAIL EDITOR TO MEET MINISTER OVER MAYOR VOTE

29-10-2007

Birmingham Mail editor Steve Dyson remains confident that his paper's campaign for a Mayoral referendum will be successful even if it doesn't attract the 36,000 signatures needed to force a poll.

Speaking after yesterday's discussion on The Politics Show with Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming, Dyson revealed that he's planning a meeting next month with Justice Minister Michael Wills.

On the agenda will be the government's powers of discretion to order a vote on the issue without the 36,000 target having been met, so long as it believes there is a significant groundswell of public opinion.

Dyson will be arguing that the Mail's current tally more than 5,000 signatures validated, but with many still to be checked is indicative of the public's appetite for change.

Northfield MP Richard Burden pressed the Minister in a parliamentary debate in July to take account of the fact that Birmingham Council is refusing to co-operate with the checking procedure.

The City won't give the newspaper full access to the electoral register, making it difficult to know precisely how many names are legitimate.

Now Dyson will get the chance to press the case, in a face to face meeting with the Minister on November 19.

He said, "What cheered me about yesterday's programme was that in the film they made about a referendum, ordinary Brummies all supported the idea.

"In fact the political editor Patrick Burns said he couldn't find anyone who disagreed.

"And remember, we're not saying there should be a Mayor. Only that the public should have the chance to decide for themselves."