Call for £375k elected mayor referendum rejected

An attempt to force a referendum on whether an elected mayor should be abolished has failed.

Councillors in Bedford rejected a Labour motion to let residents decide the future of the role.

They were told a referendum would cost £375,000 to organise.

Opponents of the elected mayor system said the poll could still happen if enough residents signed a petition.

Bedford has had an elected mayor since 2002, when residents voted in favour of the move in a referendum.

The leader of the Labour group, Abu Sultan, told a meeting of the full council on Wednesday that, after more than 20 years, it was time to give the people a chance to vote again.

Sultan added that the motion was "not about settling a political score with any particular person".

Carl Meader (Labour, Kempston South) said abolishing the role would save money and the referendum would give people under 40 their first chance to vote on the issue.