Tens of thousands of people are being asked if they want an elected mayor in charge of Bradford Council.

If they decide in favour, Bradford would become the 13th authority in England to have one – if councillors agree.

A public consultation has begun asking residents if they would like to move to the model favoured in London and, more recently, Doncaster, where Shipley MP Philip Davies’s father, Peter Davies, was elected mayor in May.

People could also prefer a second option – a leader and cabinet – similar to what Bradford Council has now.

Both the elected mayor and leader would serve for four years.

Under new legislation all authorities must adopt one of the two options by the end of this year.

Views can be given online at bradford.gov.uk/consultations or by completing a questionnaire available at town halls, Council offices and libraries.

The deadline for comments is November 8, and a final decision is expected to be made at the full Council meeting on December 15.

Tony Reeves, the chief executive of the Council, said: “The current arrangement for running the Council is to have a leader and a number of councillors, known as portfolio holders, to act collectively as the Council’s executive.

“They are all councillors elected annually by full Council and are responsible for making the key decisions that affect the running of the Council.

“The proposed leader and cabinet model is very similar to what we have now with the exception that the leader is elected for four years in the new system rather than one and it is the leader, not full Council, who will appoint the deputy leader and members of the cabinet.

“The second option is to have a mayor elected by the public to serve a term of four years. This mayor would then ask a number of councillors to sit as cabinet members and form the Council’s new executive.”

Last year Conservative Party leader David Cameron told the Telegraph & Argus in an exclusive interview that Bradford should be allowed to drive itself forward through the introduction of an elected mayor.

But yesterday, Bradford Council leader, Kris Hopkins, who heads the Conservative group, reiterated his opposition to elected mayors.

He said: “This is an exercise we are being forced to undertake by the Government and is little more than a waste of time and public money.

“There is no desire for an elected mayor in Bradford district and my Conservative colleagues and I share this view.

“However, neither do I think that there is a wish for a Council leader to serve a four-year term.

“Bradford is a hung Council and the leadership has the potential to change hands more often than in some other authorities. If a leader cannot gain the support of a majority of Council members, he or she must resign and that is as it should be.”

Labour group leader Councillor Ian Greenwood, said: “We don’t believe that an elected mayor is necessary in Bradford but the Government is giving people a choice. The Conservative Party would try to force an elected mayor on Bradford.”

Liberal Democrat group leader Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, said: “It doesn’t actually tackle the root of the problem. All this does is tinker around the edges but nothing will really change.

“Also if you have a leader in place for four years, you could essentially have a leader from one party and an executive from another.”