New elected mayors - timing announced
Under proposals announced in the new Localism Bill, council leaders in Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Coventry, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Wakefield would become shadow mayors and be given the powers available to existing mayors, after the Bill receives Royal Assent
The Department for Communities and Local Government said that these cities - and any other areas that want to elect a mayor - will hold mayoral referendums at the same time as the 2012 local elections.
Areas that vote in favour of electing a mayor would then be able to do so as part of their local election in May 2013, using the supplementary vote system used for existing mayors.
The elected mayors would serve a four-year term of office.
15 December 2010
