Birmingham Mail editor Steve Dyson went face-to-face yesterday with MP John Hemming in a live TV debate on the campaign for an elected mayor referendum.

The pair were drafted in to argue for and against a people's poll on how the city is run during BBC1's Politics Show.

It comes a week after the elected mayor petition day of action saw thousands sign up for their right to decide how their city is run.

The programme's West Midlands political editor Patrick Burns hosted the debate on what has become one of the city's hottest political issues.

He spent a day interviewing campaigners about the petition and visited the Birmingham Mail's campaign headquarters to report on the petition.

Steve said: "The Birmingham Mail believes that an important decision like this should be taken by the people of Birmingham in a binding referendum.

"Six years ago voters were asked and 54 per cent said they wanted an elected mayor. This was ignored by the council.

"Now they are again denying people that choice and we have joined campaigners across the city in raising the petition.

"We are not campaigning for or against an elected mayor, just for people's right to choose."

John Hemming, the Liberal Democrat MP for Yardley, is opposed to an elected mayor and is against having a referendum on the issue.

Despite this he has announced that if there is to be an elected mayor he will stand.

Already thousands of people have signed the petition for a referendum. By law the council has to call a poll if five per cent of registered voters - 36,000 people in Birmingham - sign the petition within a year.