GRASS ROOTS IN THANET (GRIT)
AN ELECTED MAYOR (LEADER OF THE COUNCIL)
A POLITICALLY BALANCED EXECUTIVE
MORE POWERS FOR TOWN COUNCILS
CONSULTATION RIGHTS FOR COMMUNITY & VOLUNTARY GROUPS
A THANET CENTRIC UNITARY AUTHORITY

WHY DO WE NEED AN ELECTED MAYOR (COUNCIL LEADER) ?

The elected Mayor (Council Leader) will get things done during his or her 4 years in office

Thanet needs the highly visible and accountable leadership of an elected Mayor to deliver our collective vision for the future.

The elected Mayor (Council Leader) will be chosen by you and everyone else in Thanet who VOTE

An elected mayor (Council Leader) and his/her council will be obliged to act fairly between all the towns, villages, voluntary and community groups in Thanet.

The Mayor (Council Leader) will speak for the whole of Thanet

“Government, MPs, MEPs, KCC, business leaders and community leaders will ALL take an ELECTED Mayor (Council Leader) more seriously, because:
His/her mandate comes directly from the public, not parties.
He/she will be a stronger and more charismatic leader.
He/she will be ‘voted in’ for 4 years. ”

The elected Mayor (Council Leader) will rise above party politics

The elected Mayor will choose the best councillors for the key jobs from the range of parties represented, and will persuade them to work towards decisions that are good for the whole community in Thanet , not just what is desired by one political party or another.

The Mayor (Elected Leader) will have greater authority and transparency, which will lead to much less secrecy, bullying and a more obedient, loyal team of senior officers.
A Thanet council, run by a publicly accountable Mayor (Elected Leader) will have much greater chance of securing Unitary Authority status for Thanet and neighbouring seaside towns.

FAQs

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Don’t we have a Mayor already ?

Ramsgate and Broadstairs have a mayor, but these are purely ceremonial roles which rotate between councillors, with no actual power. These honorary roles will be continued and do not affect the direct election of a Mayor for Thanet, who will lead the whole of the district council.

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What happens if we don’t like the elected Mayor (Council Leader) once he or she takes office ?

Then we vote him/her out again after 4 years (sooner if a vote of no confidence is declared by 75% of the councillors). Currently, we the electorate, have no power to vote out the leader of the council, at any stage.

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What kind of elected Mayor (Council Leader) will we have ?

Anyone can stand for election as Mayor (Council Leader), party members or independents, even you!

Why do we need a politically balanced executive and some portfolio committees ?

To introduce greater collaboration and cross party team work post election.
To reduce the damaging effects of inter party tribalism.
To give the ‘Elected Leader’ greater authority and less individual power.
To achieve greater involvement of backbench ward councillors in decision making.

FAQs

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Why don’t we go back to ‘committee style’ local government now ?

Because without an elected leader, it leads to the ‘bad old days’ of very poor personal accountability, very poor leadership and teamwork, no visibility and very slow opaque decision making

Because ‘committee style’ government lacked adequate scrutiny

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Why don’t we introduce a politically balanced executive or cabinet and supporting committees now ?

Because the currently ‘unelected leader’ does not have the authority to overcome the inevitable ‘party political in-fighting’ and make a decision in the general public interest , rather than his/her party interests

Why do we need to give town councils some of the powers of scrutiny ?

Currently, communities such as Ramsgate, Braodstairs, Margate, Birchington, Westgate and the villages, have no effective collective voice. They are effectively ‘toothless tigers’.
Town Councils and parishes should be consulted properly ie. before, during and post decision making.
Scrutiny is currently done along party political lines. It should be guided by the communities that will be affected by council decisions, which is best done by elected town councils and parishes.

FAQs

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Why don’t we give town councils powers of scrutiny now ?

We could, but without a directly elected council leader, whose vision for each community has been endorsed by the electorate, town councils are in danger of splitting along party political lines instead of working together to best achieve that vision.

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Why don’t we just give town councils more money to spend ?

Because it will require duplication of bureaucratic costs that already exist in full council.

Why give qualified community and voluntary groups mandatory rights of consultation ?

To make local government more open and accessible to non political community leaders and organisations.
To improve the quality of local decision making.
To make the elected leader of the council more responsive to community needs and not naked party political needs.
To assist the Leader of the Council gain understanding and support where controversial decisions are required.

FAQs

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Why don’t we do it now ?

We could and should, but it without an Elected Leader of the Council, whose vision has been publicly endorsed, some local organisations might feel they are being drawn into party political disputes or even manipulated in the name of party political interests.

Why do we need a ‘Thanet Centric’ Unitary Authority ?

To remove the second tier of government that governs Thanet and nearby sea side towns.
To give Thanet and nearby seaside towns control over essential services such as Strategic Planning (eg. Harbour and Parkway station), Social Services, Education, Highways, Housing and Rehabilitation of Ex Offenders and Socially Deprived Families.
To make local government more relevant to the Thanet region, the needs of which are often quite different to North and West Kent.

FAQs

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Why not do it now ?

Thanet is not governed well enough currently, to make a successful application to the Secretary State for being giving much greater responsibility and budgets that come with the status of a Unitary Authority. Thanet’ needs to become an exemplar of local government, run by an elected mayor (elected council leader) for a few years prior to making its application for Unitary status.

HOW IT WORKS

1

Step One

5% of the Thanet electorate (4,997 people) need to sign the petition in order to ask for a Yes/No referendum on electing a Mayor (Council Leader) for Thanet.

2

Step Two

With 4,997 or more signatures, there will be a referendum within 6 months in which you can vote for or against electing a Mayor (Council Leader) with greater accountability to the electorate, towns, villages, communities and voluntary groups.

3

Step Three

If a majority vote YES in the referendum, there will be a mayoral contest. Whoever wins that becomes the elected Mayor (Council Leader) of Thanet for the next 4 years.

MAKE IT HAPPEN

Due to the nature of this petition, we are currently obliged to collect handwritten signatures. We are not able to collect digital signatures on line.

If you would like to know more about this campaign and what it can do for Thanet please click on this link:

If you would like to help in some way to deliver this for Thanet please contact us:

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD IN THANET

ELECT YOUR MAYOR (LEADER OF THE COUNCIL)

GRIT:
noun:
courage and resolve; strength of character.
synonyms: courage, courageousness, bravery, pluck, mettle, mettlesomeness, backbone, spirit, strength of character, strength of will, moral fibre, steel, nerve, gameness, valour, fortitude, toughness, hardiness, resolve, determination, resolution, perseverance;

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