A campaign pushing for a directly elected mayor in Plymouth is gathering steam, despite potential local government restructuring that could see the city fall under a regional mayor. The Yesdemplymouth movement has submitted a petition with 13,250 signatures to Plymouth City Council, exceeding the 9,789 (5% of the electorate) required under the Local Government Act 2000 to trigger a referendum.
Spearheaded by Angus Forbes, the campaign aims to address what they perceive as a failing governance structure. “We seek to reform Plymouth’s current governance structure that has failed us so manifestly,” Forbes stated. “Over a generation, the citizens of Plymouth have borne witness to the continual gap between our city’s potential and its lived reality, due to a poor governance structure that divides and fractures, rather than unifies and inspires.” He emphasised the campaign’s focus on direct democracy, giving Plymouth residents the opportunity to elect their own leader.
Forbes, a businessman rather than a politician, has clarified that he is not affiliated with any political party and does not aspire to be mayor himself. The campaign’s sole aim is to secure a referendum, allowing the people of Plymouth to decide whether they want a directly elected mayor, following the lead of other cities. Plymouth previously rejected this proposal in a 2001 referendum.
The timing of the campaign coincides with significant potential changes to local government. Plymouth City Council has expressed its support for a new regional authority covering Devon and Cornwall, with an elected regional mayor. This could lead to the creation of a new council encompassing Plymouth and surrounding areas of Devon. These changes are driven by the government’s devolution white paper, which is expected to become law this year. The aim is to hold mayoral elections in 2026 and implement the new council structure by 2027.
Forbes acknowledged the government’s devolution plans and the white paper, particularly the “desire for material change in local governance structures across England” and the ambition for a South West peninsula mayoral strategic authority (SW PMSA) with a directly elected mayor. He sees this as evidence of the government’s support for direct democracy.
Looking ahead, Forbes hopes that any new legislation will allow Plymouth citizens to directly elect their local leader, even within a potentially restructured regional framework. He anticipates that the final structure might involve three or four unitary authorities for Devon and Cornwall under the SW PMSA, with one being a significantly expanded Plymouth unitary authority. The campaign is urging consistency from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and in future legislation to ensure Plymouth residents have the same opportunity for direct representation as other areas.
