Petition for an Elected Mayor Referendum Rejected – But Could Return

Published on: 18 Jun, 2015
Updated on: 30 Jun, 2015

A petition organised by disgraced former Conservative councillor, Monika Juneja, seeking a referendum on whether Guildford should have a directly elected mayor has been rejected by Guildford Borough Council (GBC) because it had not have enough verified signatures.

The role of a directly elected mayor is different from the current ceremonial mayor of Guildford. A directly elected mayor would have wide ranging decision-making powers.

A statement from the council said: “The petition failed to reach the 5012 signatures (5% of the electorate in the borough) needed, having gained 3570 signatures.

“A number of signatures were disregarded as they did not meet certain criteria, this can include those that failed to complete all the details needed, such as first name, surname and address details or where a signature was unreadable.

The council received a petition on 18 May 2015. The petition organisers will have the opportunity to collect and submit further signatures as part of new petition which can be amalgamated with the original. The petition process would then be restarted.

Valid names on the original petition will remain so for 12 months from the date of signing.

The petition is available at the council offices at Millmead House for inspection by members of the public “at all reasonable times and free of charge” according to the GBC website.

Another petition, commenced earlier, and promoted by Cllr Susan Parker (GGG, Send), seeking a referendum on a return to a committee style of governance at GBC, has yet to attract the 5,012 signatures necessary.

If the petition for a referendum on an elected mayor is eventually successful and, as a result, a referendum is held, it is unlikely that any further referendum on the council’s governance model will be allowed for a number of years.

Responses to Petition for an Elected Mayor Referendum Rejected – But Could Return

Frank Phillipson Reply

June 22, 2015 at 12:20 am

How legally valid is the petition organised by Monica Juneja if people were paid to obtain signatures? Surely this would mean that they would be likely to put pressure on people to sign.
- Martin Giles Reply
  
  June 22, 2015 at 12:20 pm
  
  It is understood that the council has decided that paying someone to collect signatures is not illegal nor a reason, in itself, to reject a petition.
Adrian Atkinson Reply

June 22, 2015 at 2:43 pm

But the advert to recruit the students wasn’t really clear as can be seen here:

“ADVERT – Are you interested in local issues and in giving students more of a say in Guildford? Do you want experience of marketing and working as a team?

“A local consultancy is offering the opportunity for 200 students to earn £40 each by spending a few hours on Saturday 2 May helping to find out more about the local community’s views and opinions on the future of Guildford and changes to the way Guildford is governed. You would need to be confident, approachable and willing to use your initiative. Students will receive a full briefing on the task.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Monika … without delay.”

Which consultancy? Did it exist? Who paid the students?

The outcome was not “really finding out about community views and opinions”. Very likely everybody was confused.

I think, that under the circumstances, the organiser’s subsequent conviction for forgery and the confusion of people who signed it (I know people who signed it are dead set against a mayoral system and want their names removed), the respondents should be contacted and allowed to opt out.
Jules Cranwell Reply

June 22, 2015 at 5:59 pm

But is it legal for a sitting councillor to sponsor a petition for a change of governance of the council she has elected to as a representative?
C Stevens Reply

June 22, 2015 at 10:31 pm

I’d have thought that the way for a for a councillor to change the governance of the council of which she is an elected member is by resolution put before the council.

A petition, surely, is for those who, unlike a councillor, aren’t in a position to get a resolution put before the council.
Jim Allen Reply

June 23, 2015 at 12:02 am

As the petition has been organised by someone who has recently been convicted of forgery its validity must be questionable.

Guildford Borough Council have carried out validation checks and, as reported, found that around 1,500 signatures could not be validated. Ed
- Adrian Atkinson Reply
  
  June 23, 2015 at 1:14 pm
  
  They haven’t validated them in the way Mr Allen may be suggesting if you read the following carefully:
  
  “….were disregarded as they did not meet certain criteria, this can include those that failed to complete all the details needed, such as first name, surname and address details or where a signature was unreadable.”
  
  I’m not sure that any have been checked with the person in question.
Paul Spooner Reply

June 23, 2015 at 7:39 am

Interesting comment from Mr Cranwell:

“But is it legal for a sitting councillor to sponsor a petition for a change of governance of the council she has elected to as a representative?”

Given that Ms Parker, a co-director of the company being used to petition another alternative governance system, is now an elected councillor herself, perhaps she should now use council procedures instead by proposing a resolution within council?
- Lisa Wright Reply
  
  June 23, 2015 at 11:58 am
  
  I think Mr Spooner has his wires crossed; “sponsored” tends to suggest payment.
  
  The Local Democracy Ltd petition, calling for a referendum on whether we would like to have a committee system of governance within Guildford Borough Council, one which will allow all 48 Councillors a chance to represent their wards rather than the current executive model where decisions can be made without discussion, has not been financially sponsored by anyone.
  
  Those that are spreading the word and collecting signatures are volunteers. Those signing the petition are not subjected to sales type pressure to sign the petition as there is no financial incentive for the collector.
Bob Panton Reply

June 23, 2015 at 11:21 am

In response to Cllr Spooner, I note that Cllr Parker, in her role as a councillor, has proposed a change in the way Guildford Borough Council is governed.

https://guildford-dragon.com/2015/06/18/letter-i-proposed-changes-to-the-councils-governance-arrangements/

There are now two petitions in circulation, one for the return to the committee system and another for a mayoral system, the latter having obtained signatures using unusual methods and with questionable motive. I suggest the council holds a referendum giving residents the opportunity to vote with all options available to us.

This would be unbiased and democratic but is it likely to happen?

Sadly, we appear to have a Conservative led borough council, in which the majority of Conservative councillors vote as they are expected to by their leader, rather than vote with the best interests of their constituents in mind.