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Sir Steve Bullock
knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to local government.
Is this because he is Labour Party's favourite elected
Mayor? Not that there are many about and even fewer who succeeded in being
re-elected to office.
But politics aside - Steve has always been an open and
approachable man and living in Forest Hill has done something to balance the
interests of this end of the borough.
So congratulations Steve. We look forward to an even
more regal progress in that red Triumph Herald ... |
Steve was first elected Mayor in 2002. Elected Mayors
was a Labour Party initiative to create a high profile accountable executive
leader to both bring better management to local authorities and encourage more
local democracy.
Appalling turnouts of less than 30% suggest that
popular local democracy has yet to arrive. But what about the effectiveness in
managing Lewisham in general and Forest Hill in particular? Not for us to judge
but others have ...
In the same week that Steve got knighted a Conservative
Party taskforce adopted Labour's idea and extended it further - proposing more
Mayors and greater powers. The Conservative Cities Taskforce report (news story
«here») calls for directly elected leaders
to serve a four-year fixed term, paid a salary "commensurate with the level of
responsibility" and subject to "loose scrutiny" by an elected
assembly.
Meanwhile our local Conservative party in Lewisham are
leading in a campaign to abolish the whole concept (see story
«here»). So confusion whether elected
Mayors are a good or bad idea.
Sir Steve commented:
"It is a privilege to have received this honour. I
became a politician to help improve the lives of local people and I am deeply
touched that my efforts have been recognised in this way."
“It was a huge surprise when I found out I had
been given a knighthood, and a lot of credit also has to go to the people I
have worked with over the years at Lewisham, London Councils and the other
bodies I have served on.”
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