Council chief executives are essential, impartial roles and must not be taken on by elected mayors, a Bradford politician has warned.

Baroness Margaret Eaton was speaking in the House of Commons during the second reading of the Government’s Localism Bill, where she also dismissed the shadow mayor proposals as “the wrong path to take”.

Bradford Council will be one of 12 local authorities in the country where the current council leader automatically becomes shadow mayor for the districts they serve this summer.

Councillor Ian Greenwood, the Council’s Labour leader, has said he is uncomfortable with being thrust unelected into a position which will exist until a referendum is held next May. The vote will decide if the position becomes permanent, and under proposals, the elected mayor would merge with the position of council chief executive.

Addressing the House, Lady Eaton, who is chairman of the Local Government Association and a former leader of Bradford Council, said: “The change should only come after local people have decided that it is desirable, not before.

“I also do not think that the elected mayors should be required to merge with chief executives. These are resolute, separate roles and the impartiality of the chief executive is an important and long-standing precedent.”

Coun Greenwood said he agreed “absolutely 100 per cent” with Baroness Eaton, who articulated the view that they both shared having led the Council and dealt with a number of chief executives. He said: “It would be an extremely unhelpful position for the district to move to where an elected head was actually the chief executive. This is an American model which is entirely unhelpful."

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