The Gloucestershire Echo is urging its readers to vote ‘no’ to a referendum question set by the Government.

Gloucestershire’s 81,000 voters are being asked if they want a directly elected mayor to run the Cheltenham Borough Council.

The Echo feels the wording of the referendum question is ambiguous and could pressure people to vote ‘yes’ if they misunderstood the implications of the idea – by thinking they would keep the current ceremonial mayor.

Anyone in Cheltenham would be able to run for a new mayor post, a move which critics fear might encourage popular individuals with lack of experience.

They could then be in the £50,000-a-year post for four years, running the authority as a mini-prime minister, however good at the job they were.

The paper’s Opinion column stormed: “The Echo and Cheltenham Borough Council have not always seen eye to eye.

“Today, however, we thrown every inch of our soul behind the local authority on the issue of the referendum.

“The issue is whether we opt for a directly elected mayor or not.”

It said the idea sounded simple but was not – as some might think – a move to keep the post elected by councillors, who goes around opening fetes, doing charity work and boosting tourism.

“So here we go into a campaign which on the face of it sounds so negative.

“What we want Echo readers to understand is that a ‘no’ vote actually means saying ‘yes’ to the current mayoral position.”

It said a ‘yes’ vote would transform the way people were governed and permit one person to hold all the power.

It would end the tradition, the robes and the political impartiality of the civic mayor, whose ceremonial post could be lost.

A ‘no’ vote would still lead to changes to local government – and the Echo is suggesting people should vote ‘no’ to safeguard the future of Gloucestershire’s democracy.

The Echo campaign will allow readers on both sides of the argument to have their say as the June 28 deadline date approaches.

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