The mayor could then appoint councillors to her or his cabinet and the remaining council could be free of restraint and unnecessary party discipline to check and scrutinise the mayor and cabinet. It is feasible to apply to this model a degree of annualisation of elections but it is complex and Dunleavy and Margetts argue strongly against complicating the system further. As elected representatives, councillors need to nurture democratic legitimacy, not encase it in aspic. If the present system does not work well and another approach is better we should look at this even if it is against our short-term interests. If we continue to argue just from vested interests electors will turn away from us in droves.
Elections are about many things.
Accountability of representatives to the electorate, decisive outcomes and area representation are just three that spring to mind. But for electors to re-engage with civic life we need to make sure each vote cast has the same weight in the electoral system. In Lewisham we are canvassing local opinion to see whether there is widespread support for a change to a more proportional system.