Campaigning in Clifton

This morning I was campaigning near Clifton Country Park, formerly Clifton nature Reserve, delivering The Community Action Party leaflet supporting a directly-elected mayor and encouraging people to vote YES on the 26th January 2012.

A fellow Cliftonian stopped me in the street to chat about my leaflet and he said to me that drinking in Clifton Cricket Club me and my mates put the world to rights and we think a mayor would just appoint a load of backup people costing us loads more.

I explained well that depends on who you elect ie the people ! Under the current system I explained councillors are paid tens of thousands already every year (see previous blog) and the leader of the Council got nearly £40,000 in 2011 and as Leader he wasnt even elected.

I explained a good, honest decent Mayor elected by the people for the people would not be doing the job for the money. For example, in Doncaster, I explained the mayor there peter Davies reduced his salary from £80,000 per year to £30,000 per year, scrapped his mayoral car and uses his free bus pass to get to work.

This same Mayor is also trying to reduce the number of councillors so that people who do nothing for their communties are got rid of saving over One million pounds for Doncaster.

I explained the current leader of Salford Council has the same powers as an elected mayor the only difference is we elect the mayor where we dont elect the leader. If we have a Mayor the Leader will go and thats why he is trying to persuade us to vote no.

He thanked me for the information and said he would be supporting us in the referendum and wishes us well.