Directly Elected Mayors in The United Kingdom - Mayoral Referendums

Mayoral Referendums

To date there have been 47 referendums on whether to establish an elected mayor in English local authorities. Thirteen have been passed and 34 rejected by the voters.

To trigger a referendum, the normal procedure is for the council to request it, which has happened in 22 cases. In 14, electors themselves have requested a referendum by petition. In Southwark, the government forced the holding of a referendum. Councillors have had the right in law to introduce the post of Elected Mayor instead of the appointed Council Leader, by a two-thirds majority vote in Council under the Local Government Act 2000 and 2007.

"Yes" majority shown in green, "No" majority shown in red.

Local authority Date Yes Votes Yes Vote % No Votes No Vote % Turnout %
Berwick-upon-Tweed 7 June 2001 3,617 26 10,212 74 64
Cheltenham 28 June 2001 8,083 33 16,602 67 32
Gloucester 28 June 2001 7,731 32 16,317 68 31
Watford 12 July 2001 7,636 52 7,140 48 25
Doncaster 20 September 2001 35,453 65 19,398 35 25
Kirklees 4 October 2001 10,169 27 27,977 73 13
Sunderland 11 October 2001 9,375 43 12,209 57 10
Brighton & Hove 18 October 2001 22,724 38 37,214 62 32
Hartlepool 18 October 2001 10,667 51 10,294 49 34
Lewisham 18 October 2001 16,822 51 15,914 49 18
Middlesbrough 18 October 2001 29,067 84 5,422 16 34
North Tyneside 18 October 2001 30,262 58 22,296 42 36
Sedgefield 18 October 2001 10,628 47 11,869 53 33
Redditch 8 November 2001 7,250 44 9,198 56 28
Durham 20 November 2001 8,327 41 11,974 59 29
Harrow 6 December 2001 17,502 43 23,554 57 26
Plymouth 24 January 2002 29,559 41 42,811 59 40
Harlow 24 January 2002 5,296 25 15,490 75 25
Newham 31 January 2002 27,263 68 12,687 32 26
Southwark 31 January 2002 6,054 31 13,217 69 11
West Devon 31 January 2002 3,555 23 12,190 77 42
Shepway 31 January 2002 11,357 44 14,438 56 36
Bedford 21 February 2002 11,316 67 5,537 33 16
Hackney 2 May 2002 24,697 59 10,547 41 32
Mansfield 2 May 2002 8,973 55 7,350 45 21
Newcastle-under-Lyme 2 May 2002 12,912 44 16,468 56 31.5
Oxford 2 May 2002 14,692 44 18,686 56 34
Stoke-on-Trent 2 May 2002 28,601 58 20,578 42 27
Stoke-on-Trent 23 October 2008 14,592 41 21,231 59 19.23
Corby 1 October 2002 5,351 46 6239 54 31
Ealing 12 December 2002 9,454 45 11,655 55 10
Ceredigion 20 May 2004 5,308 27 14,013 73 36
Isle of Wight 5 May 2005 28,786 43.7 37,097 56.3 60.4
Fenland 14 July 2005 5,509 24.2 17,296 75.8 33.6
Torbay 14 July 2005 18,074 55.2 14,682 44.8 32.1
Crewe and Nantwich 4 May 2006 11,808 38.2 18,768 60.8 35.3
Darlington 27 September 2007 7,981 41.6 11,226 58.4 24.6
Bury 3 July 2008 10,338 40.1 15,425 59.9 18.3
Tower Hamlets 6 May 2010 60,758 60.3 39,857 39.7 62.1
Great Yarmouth 5 May 2011 10,051 39.2 15,595 60.8 36
Salford 26 January 2012 17,344 56.0 13,653 44.0 18.1

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