May 4 2012 Prime Minister David Cameron's hope of installing powerful elected mayors in major cities has been dashed by voters.
Mr Cameron had thrown his weight firmly behind the policy but only voters in Bristol embraced the idea while residents in nine cities rejected the new posts.
The Prime Minister had attempted to use the example of London Mayor Boris Johnson to inspire enthusiasm for high-profile municipal figureheads, saying he wanted a "Boris in every city".
But Birmingham rejected the idea by 57.79% to 42.21%, on a turnout of just 27.65%. In Newcastle, 61.94% of voters opposed the change, against 38.06% in favour of a mayor, on a 31.92% turnout.
Wakefield rejected the... read more