On Thursday 2 May 2024, residents of the West Midlands, UK, will be voting for the next Mayor of the West Midlands.
Note that the vote is for the West Midlands, and not any of the major cities. Perhaps I have my tinfoil hat on, but I think that’s more sinister than it seems.
Back in May 2012, there was a mayoral referendum where voters were asked if they wanted a Mayor for Birmingham City Council, which would result in a change from how the council was run at the time. The people voted. The numbers weren’t huge, which may indicate the lack of enthusiasm for the idea with Brummies. The votes came in.
A meagre 214,108 people voted, compared to an estimated 755,900 eligible voters. The people that did vote made their opinions clear. 120,611 voted against the idea of a Birmingham Mayor, choosing to keep things as they were. 88,085 voted for a Birmingham Mayor. 5,412 votes were rejected due to being unable to accurately read the vote cast. Perhaps some of these intentionally ruined their ballot paper in protest.
It works out at approximately 57.8% voting against having a Birmingham Mayor. That may seem like a slim margin, but the vote to leave the EU resulted in 52% vs 48% in favour of leaving. And, as I write this, we are not a member of the EU. They stuck with that result.
You’d think that would be the end of it. But no. In November 2015 the Conservative government announced that it was going to completely ignore the people, and create a mayor for a West Midlands Combined Authority. Technically, this is different to a Birmingham Mayor, but the West Midlands does include Birmingham. Brummies were going to get a mayor whether they liked it or not.
Fast forward to May 2017 when the people were able to vote for an undemocratic West Midlands Mayor. 523,201 West Midlanders turned out to vote, compared to a total of 1,961,153 eligible voters. This was an estimated 26.7% of eligible voters. Approximately 8% of the votes cast had to be rejected, some being intentionally ruined as protest. I can claim one of those ruined ballot papers. The vote resulted in a Conservative Mayor for the West Midlands. Something which I’m sure is pure coincidence.
The people voted against a Birmingham Mayor, so the Conservative government announced there would be a West Midlands Mayor instead, and a Conservative gets that role. Colour me cynical, but I can’t help but think that this is just another way for politicians to give their friends positions of power.
Mayoral voting has happened in various parts of the UK, with a lot of areas initially voting against the idea. The Tory government did the same thing elsewhere as they did in the West Midlands, and just changed the area slightly.
It’s now May 2024 and we are again being asked to vote for who we want as mayor. Asking me to vote for someone to be in a position that I, and the majority, voted against, is a slap in the face for democracy.
@katie_pinns 