Whilst I was on my final study day and return journey from Athens, Bury residents were voting whether or not to have an elected Mayor and change the way our Council is run.

We have welcomed the public’s decision to vote “No” to an elected Mayor for the Borough. The referendum was called for by congestion charge protesters Manchester Against Road Tax. This whole situation has been a ridiculous waste of the tax payers’ money.

The overall average turnout was 18.25%.

10,338 people voted yes and 15,425 voted no.

There were 28 spoilt votes.

Commenting on the result, leader of Bury Liberal Democrats, Cllr Tim Pickstone, said “Lib Dems in Bury campaigned hard for a “No” vote in the referendum, and I am glad that the idea of an elected Mayor has been rejected by local people.”

The “Yes” campaign suggested that the voting for a Mayor would help defeat plans for a congestion charge. Cllr Pickstone has rejected this view: “The idea that a Mayor could stop the congestion charge was always false, and I always thought that local people wouldn’t believe it. Bury Lib Dems continue to oppose the congestion charge, and the Council is now free to continue working hard to get improved public transport for Bury without this additional tax.”

The issue of the Mayor was linked to the congestion charge by the ‘YES’ campaigners. A Mayor would have meant a less democratic system for local people, and would have cost a small fortune every year. We believe that decisions should be taken in local communities, not by one person (a Mayor), at the Town Hall. The rejection of the Mayor gives us the best chance to continue fighting for real power for local people, and better local services for everyone.”