Think-tanks back elected mayors

More English cities and towns should be given the chance to elect their own mayors to tackle anger over perceived constitutional imbalances within the UK, two think-tanks have suggested.

The New Local Government Network and the Institute for Public Policy Research said elected mayors with extra powers could help defuse anger over the ability of Scottish MPs to vote on matters relating only to England.

A poll carried out for the two think-tanks found 38 per cent of people support the idea of a directly-elected mayor for their own council, against 29 per cent who oppose it.

Support was stronger - 40 per cent in favour - when asked whether major cities should have a mayor.

There are currently 13 elected mayors in the UK, but in referendums in many other areas voters have chosen to stick with existing systems of local government.

A pamphlet entitled Directly Elected, Direct Results by the think-tanks said: "By presenting mayors as a decentralising measure, Gordon Brown would finally have a substantive policy response to the English questions, which has arisen out of asymmetric devolution to Scotland and Wales.

"Mayors might not answer the West Lothian question - a reference to the ability of Scottish MPs to vote on English matters - but by enabling England to be administered in a far less centralised fashion they would significantly improve the way England is governed, something which is likely to be of greater concern to the public."