We took the decision as a positive move – not in response to what was then speculation about the coalition’s localism bill and city mayors – with a determination and desire to give Leicester’s citizens a real say in who runs their city.

At the time the decision generated controversy and in some quarters continues to do so. There can be no denying that the elected mayor model is the democratic choice when it comes to municipal governance. Under the current model – and under the ‘strong leader’ model set out in Labour’s 2007 legislation – the council leader is elected only by councillors.

Those who are councillors or who have experience of the inside track of town hall corridor politics, will know that such elections are dominated by intense politicking well away from the gaze of the local taxpayers and voters.

On 5 May the citizens of Leicester will vote for who they want to be the political leader of their city. The elected mayor will have a clear and undisputable mandate and will be directly accountable to the people of the city.

The move to this system also has the potential to reinvigorate our party and Labour’s local internal democracy. Council leaders are councillors, often selected for their seat in ward selection meetings, some of which struggle to reach a quorum. Our mayoral candidate, Peter Soulsby, was selected this weekend after a ballot of the city’s membership. The selection process was fast, but included a well attended hustings event, a separate hustings organised by a local branch (there would probably have been more had time allowed) but most importantly lots of engagement between aspiring candidates and the selectorate. We have had a process that has actively encouraged debate about policy ideas for May’s mayoral and city council elections and Labour’s future in Leicester and beyond – arguably with many members engaging in these debates who often avoid GC and branch meetings and other aspects of the party’s day to day organisation in the city.

Leicester’s elected mayor will also have a unique and new opportunity to set the trend for other cities which will eventually adopt a mayoral system.

Leicester will become the largest city outside London with an Elected mayor, our mayor will have the second largest individual direct mandate after Boris Johnson as mayor of London.

This will change how decisions are made and how policy is enacted. The mayor will be elected for a four-year term which provides stability and a space to govern for the mid- and long-terms not often afforded to local government leaders. This presents interesting and important opportunities, especially in dealing with the savage cuts being imposed on Leicester by the Tory-led government.

It is my hope that Leicester can be a trailblazer for the new city mayors, bringing in a new era of local democracy which is energized and exciting. As voters continue to grumble – with much justification – about a broken political system in the aftermath of MP expenses, providing clear accountability and a direct mandate seems to me an important step in improving the health of our politics locally.

Leicester Labour are campaigning for a victory in May’s mayoral election. The decision to introduce an Elected mayor system is one consistent with progressive values. This is about building an energised local democracy and a vibrant sense of citizenship for our city. It is also about building a thriving and healthy party in our city, equipped for the electoral challenges ahead but which also reaches out to new members and connects in new ways with our communities.

Labour has had the confidence in Leicester to move to a more progressive and more democratic system of governance for our city. Our journey towards May’s mayoral election, and beyond, will be an interesting one for all those concerned with Labour’s development in local government to follow. 

Read also… What’s good enough for London, Dermot Finch arguing in Progress magazine for more cities to have directly elected mayors

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