People will vote on mayor

3:03pm Monday 2nd July 2001

A REFERENDUM will decide whether Lewisham should have a directly-elected mayor.

At a recent council meeting it was decided the people of Lewisham should be given the chance to decide whether they want to elect their mayor directly.

The referendum will be held between October 11 and 18 and will be a postal vote.

Lewisham people will be among the first in Britain to vote on whether to move to the new system. The only directly elected mayor in the UK is London's Ken Livingston.

Councillors agreed to new checks and balances on the new mayoral system if residents decide on a directly elected mayor.

There will be a clear role for backbench councillors and members of the public in scrutinising council decisions.