tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/mayor-26966/articlesMayor – The Conversation2019-10-15T12:58:51Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1252822019-10-15T12:58:51Z2019-10-15T12:58:51ZMayors of 94 cities are taking the Green New Deal global, as states fail to act on climate crisis<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/297129/original/file-20191015-98670-1up8mw5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C28%2C2723%2C1505&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Copenhagen hosts the C40. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/copenhagen-denmark-central-historical-part-city-1529353604?src=TWPP37fEs3DJplNijLe_Zw-2-2">Maykova Galina/Shutterstock.</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>At the seventh World Mayor’s Summit in <a href="https://c40-production-images.s3.amazonaws.com/other_uploads/images/2397_Copenhagen_to_be_the_world%E2%80%99s_first_carbon_neutral_city.original.pdf?1570589012">Copenhagen</a>, leaders of 94 cities embraced a <a href="https://www.c40.org/press_releases/global-gnd">global Green New Deal</a>, in an attempt to make the 2020s the defining decade in the fight against climate change. The major new initiative commits to limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, halving emissions by 2030.</p>
<p>Cities matter enormously for the battle against climate change, because while they are a major source of the problem, they also offer the resources to tackle it. Most people live in cities, and they <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/2018-revision-of-world-urbanization-prospects.html">are expected</a> to house almost 70% of the global population by 2050. Already, 75% of global energy demand, and 80% of greenhouse gas emissions <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-century-of-the-sustainable-city-15263">come from hungry urban hubs</a>. So any solution to the climate emergency must include a vision of a global network of low carbon, sustainable cities. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.c40.org">C40 Cities</a> – which convenes the World Mayor’s Summit each year – is a transnational municipal network that coordinates the efforts of member cities to protect the environment. Inhabitants of the <a href="https://www.c40.org/cities">C40 cities make up</a> a twelfth of the world’s population, and their economic power represents a quarter of the global economy. So the Global Green New Deal augments the C40’s work since 2005 with a central ideological vision, to shape their agenda in the coming decades. </p>
<h2>Driving climate action</h2>
<p>This coordinated action by the C40 mayors is an attempt to drive forward a practical green agenda, as the actions of state governments continue to fall short of what’s needed to address the climate crisis. The move comes on the back of yet another disappointing failure of states to agree effective measures to meet the global warming targets set out by the Paris Agreement, at the UN Climate Action Summit in September 2019.</p>
<p>A range of other actors, including business and civil society, as well as youth climate activists, have also endorsed the global Green New Deal. The significant emphasis upon youth at the Copenhagen summit – including the announcement of a new <a href="https://www.c40.org/press_releases/mayors-vow-to-work-together-with-youth-climate-activists-to-deliver-global-green-new-deal">C40 Global Youth Initiative</a> - suggests an intriguing link between the hopes of a new generation and the leadership and political potential of cities.</p>
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<p>In my recent book, <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/global-cities-and-global-order-9780198744016?cc=gb&lang=en&">Global Cities and Global Order</a>, I describe how cities are making use of new channels offered by <a href="https://www.nature.com/news/give-cities-a-seat-at-the-top-table-1.20668">transnational networks</a> to act collaboratively where states have failed. Through these mechanisms they have the ability to take the Green New Deal global in ways that states do not. The C40 has helped to drive cities towards such a future in the last decade: figures released to coincide with the Copenhagen summit suggest that 30 cities, including London, New York, Athens, Venice and Lisbon, <a href="https://www.c40.org/press_releases/30-of-the-world-s-largest-most-influential-cities-have-peaked-greenhouse-gas-emissions">have now peaked</a> their emissions and are making progress towards a net-zero target.</p>
<p>But what is particularly notable about the C40’s decision to embrace the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/feb/11/green-new-deal-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-ed-markey">Green New Deal agenda</a> – with its ambitions to eradicate greenhouse gas emissions from electricity, transportation, manufacturing and agriculture within the next decade - is that it offers a different political vision to the predominantly market-based neoliberal model of the past. </p>
<h2>Conflicting agendas</h2>
<p>As its name implies, the Green New Deal draws inspiration from the New Deal programs of president Franklin Roosevelt in the post-depression United States of the 1930s, which were driven by heavy state investment and intervention in the economy. Many progressive politicians, such as rising democratic star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who gave a keynote address at the C40 Summit, are championing these ideas as a way forward.</p>
<p>Embracing the Green New Deal may put cities at odds with the states they are located within, which show little sign of committing to such an approach. Indeed, in the United States, the Green New Deal has been vehemently opposed by Republicans and some Democrats.</p>
<p>This highlights a weakness of cities, which are particularly dependent on state policies when it comes to their own budgets. At present it is unclear whether the political will exists for states to support the 21st century Green New Deal. So it’s unclear how C40 cities will finance the commitments that come with this new agenda.</p>
<h2>A practical approach</h2>
<p>The timescale for effective action on climate change is short, and practical steps urgently needed. But mayors are practical people. They are able to act on the ground, and to implement successful policies more quickly than slow moving and prevaricating states. If cities find that a particular policy or measure works in one place, the global networks that cities have formed offer the opportunity for success to spread quickly around the world. </p>
<p>In that coming decade, the role of mayors – and the capabilities offered by transnational urban networks such as the C40 – will play an increasingly prominent role in bridging the local, national and global scales to act decisively on climate change.</p>
<p>Mayors can’t save the planet by themselves. But they do have unique abilities to convene different actors, to shape private sector investment, to coalesce civil society around specific agendas, to influence the work of international organisations such as the UN, to interact with local populations, to act quickly on the ground and to unite collectively in globe-spanning networks. As states continue to fail on climate change, the leadership shown by mayors of global cities offers a spark of hope.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/125282/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Simon Curtis is a Senior Fellow on Global Cities at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. </span></em></p>Cities represent an increasingly powerful force in global politics – but they’re still constrained by the agendas of slow-acting states.Simon Curtis, Senior Lecturer in International Politics, University of East AngliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1208682019-07-24T11:07:32Z2019-07-24T11:07:32ZIs Boris Johnson, Britain’s new prime minister, anti-immigrant, a homophobe, a bigot – or just politically expedient?<p>After the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49084605">election of Boris Johnson</a> as Conservative Party leader and prime minister, does Britain have a populist, nativist politician as its head of government? </p>
<p>It’s hard to say. Johnson has been a little of everything during his career.</p>
<p>Over three decades in public life, Johnson has shifted between social liberalism and right-wing provocation. As London mayor for two terms between 2008 and 2016, he spoke of his <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10404421/Boris-I-am-the-only-British-politician-who-will-admit-to-being-pro-immigration.html">pro-immigrant</a> beliefs and <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/5cab5fb4-a3c8-11e9-a282-2df48f366f7d">presented the British capital</a> as a tolerant, multicultural melting pot. </p>
<p>Responding in 2015 to untrue claims by Donald Trump that the police had lost control of parts of London to radical Muslim groups, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson/12039931/Boris-Johnson-The-only-reason-I-wouldnt-visit-some-parts-of-New-York-is-the-real-risk-of-meeting-Donald-Trump.html">Johnson said</a>, “London is a city where 300 languages are spoken,” and spoke of the “proud history of tolerance and diversity” in the city. </p>
<p>But as Johnson enters the prime minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street, his views have become much more nationalist and populist. Is this what’s needed to lead Britain through Brexit? Or will Johnson face a challenge to his leadership in the near future?</p>
<h2>Principles or strategy?</h2>
<p>As a <a href="https://case.edu/lifelonglearning/about/meet-our-staff/instructors-lecturers/luke-reader">historian of British politics</a> who is currently working on <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/luke-reader-458850">a book about Brexit</a>, I can see that populist rabble-rousing has served Johnson well. He has long used <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-record-sexist-homophobic-and-racist-comments-bumboys-piccaninnies-2019-6">homophobic, racist, sexist and imperialist statements</a> to appear more <a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/6/10/18638824/boris-johnson-tory-leader-prime-minister-brexit">authentic</a> to voters, describing non-white citizens of the Commonwealth by the racist slur “<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-defends-his-offensive-articles-about-black-and-gay-people-2019-6">picaninnies</a>” and telling constituents that <a href="http://archive.macleans.ca/article/2008/5/19/voting-tory-will-cause-your-wife-to-ha-bigger-breasts-and-increase-your-chances-of-owning-a-bmw-m3-b">“voting Tory will cause your wife to have bigger breasts</a>.” Johnson claims those statements were “satirical.” </p>
<p>While campaigning to leave the European Union in 2016, Johnson said that the EU was trying to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/14/boris-johnson-the-eu-wants-a-superstate-just-as-hitler-did/">finish the job</a> started by Napoleon and Hitler by integrating Europe into a single state. </p>
<p>“Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically,” Johnson said. “The EU is an attempt to do this by different methods.”</p>
<p>That voters took this 2016 statement seriously is a consequence of <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/boris-johnson-london-mayor-telegraph-brussels-dispatches-429010">Johnson’s 1990s career as the Brussels correspondent for The Daily Telegraph</a>. He turned that position into a platform to <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/ad141e8a-976d-11e9-9573-ee5cbb98ed36">crusade against the EU</a>. Unlike U.S. journalists, British reporters are given greater latitude by editors to insert their own opinion into their reporting. </p>
<p>Writing in The Daily Telegraph during the 1990s, Johnson <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2016/07/boris-johnson-peddled-absurd-eu-myths-and-our-disgraceful-press-followed-his">waged war</a> against meddlesome EU bureaucrats who, he maintained, directed immigrants and refugees to the beleaguered British Isles, regulated the curvature of British bananas, the pinkness of the British banger, the size of British condoms and the flavorings in prawn cocktail crisps, among other offenses. </p>
<p>The problem is none of these offenses actually happened. </p>
<p>Influential <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/boris-johnson-isnt-the-cause-of-britains-unseriousness-hes-the-product-of-it/2019/06/28/7e4c70ca-99c0-11e9-916d-9c61607d8190_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.24970740b08e">observers</a> believe that Johnson’s fabrications and exaggerations about European Union regulations <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/ad141e8a-976d-11e9-9573-ee5cbb98ed36">helped shape</a> populist antipathy to what many Britons perceived of as an overbearing, rigid EU. </p>
<p>This populist side was again on display in 2016, when Johnson helped stoke prejudice against <a href="https://www.vox.com/2016/6/23/12005814/brexit-eu-referendum-immigrants">foreigners who wanted to immigrate to the U.K.</a> in the final few weeks of the Brexit referendum campaign that would see Britain decide to leave the EU.</p>
<p>Typically, Johnson tried to have this argument both ways. He campaigned alongside politicians claiming long lines of asylum-seekers were waiting to enter Britain, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/19/michael-gove-george-osborne-condemn-nigel-farage-anti-immigration-poster-eu">but also</a> urged an amnesty for some undocumented immigrants. </p>
<p>However, Johnson did urge the <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-says-uncontrolled-immigration-from-eu-is-driving-down-wages-and-putting-pressure-on-a6948346.html">tightening of immigration into the U.K.</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/18/boris-johnson-falsely-denies-issuing-turkey-warning-in-brexit-campaign">falsely claimed</a> that Turkey was to join the EU, giving its citizens the right to enter and work in the U.K. </p>
<p>Those who wanted Britain to leave the EU eventually <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32810887">won the referendum</a> by a vote of 51.9% to 48.1%.</p>
<p>Fears about immigration proved critical to the referendum win. Official figures released a month before the vote showed that nearly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/may/26/net-migration-to-uk-nears-peak-fewer-britons-emigrate">1 million immigrants</a> had entered the U.K. between 2013 and 2015. Johnson and his allies exploited <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/24/voting-details-show-immigration-fears-were-paradoxical-but-decisive">public concerns</a> about rapidly rising rates of immigration, along with the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean and terrorism to secure their victory. </p>
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<h2>Representing a nation</h2>
<p>Populist leaders have been <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36130006">rising to power across Europe</a>, stoking nationalist and anti-immigrant sentiment in countries from Hungary to Italy to Austria. </p>
<p>Is Johnson one of them?</p>
<p>Johnson now leads 160,000 <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48395211">mostly white, aging, anti-immigrant and pro-Brexit</a> Conservative Party members. It is this victory that has made him prime minister; the Conservatives are the largest party in Parliament.</p>
<p>But the membership of the Conservative Party <a href="https://qz.com/1644202/who-are-the-160000-conservatives-picking-the-next-uk-prime-minister/">is not representative of the nation</a>. </p>
<p>His recent, full-throated embrace of populism likely won’t appeal to the <a href="https://yougov.co.uk/topics/politics/articles-reports/2019/07/23/everything-we-know-about-what-public-think-boris-j?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=website_article&utm_campaign=boris_johnson_2019%2F">58% of Britons who disapprove</a> of his judgments and agenda. Johnson <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/08/05/denmark-has-got-wrong-yes-burka-oppressive-ridiculous-still/">created an uproar</a> by stating that burqa-wearing Muslim women “choose to go around looking like letterboxes” – using the British term for mailboxes – and could resemble “a bank robber.” </p>
<p>Lost in the controversy was the fact that <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/08/world/europe/boris-johnson-trump-burqa.html">Johnson was actually writing a column for The Daily Telegraph that condemned a ban on the wearing of the burqa in Denmark</a>. And this statement did not harm Johnson’s standing with voters. Sixty percent of respondents to a <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/sky-data-poll-comparing-women-who-wear-burkas-to-bank-robbers-not-racist-11465688">Sky News poll</a> said that his statement was not racist. </p>
<p>His support for an <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jun/27/boris-johnson-vows-push-on-immigration-points-system">Australian-style points-based</a> immigration system, which would factor education, skills, wealth and other characteristics into immigration decisions, and his desire that it become mandatory for immigrants <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/06/world/europe/uk-boris-johnson-immigrants-english.html">to learn English</a> responds to anti-immigrant sentiment.</p>
<p>And Johnson’s threat to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/18/mps-pass-amendment-seeking-to-thwart-no-deal-prorogation">usurp the authority of Parliament</a> and force through a no-deal Brexit before Oct. 31, a goal thwarted so far, appeals to voters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-eu-march/angry-over-brexit-delay-leave-supporters-march-through-london-idUSL3N21G3MO">angered</a> that Britain has not yet left the EU. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285424/original/file-20190723-110175-2ag5is.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285424/original/file-20190723-110175-2ag5is.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285424/original/file-20190723-110175-2ag5is.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285424/original/file-20190723-110175-2ag5is.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285424/original/file-20190723-110175-2ag5is.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=900&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285424/original/file-20190723-110175-2ag5is.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285424/original/file-20190723-110175-2ag5is.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/285424/original/file-20190723-110175-2ag5is.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1131&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">A pro-Brexit demonstrator on July 23, 2019, outside the building where the Conservative Party planned to announce its new leader.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Britain-Conservatives/27119e824080471985982f028d918ff2/3/0">AP/Frank Augstein</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Trump comparison limited</h2>
<p>Some have <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/07/23/744076619/boris-johnson-britains-next-prime-minister-shares-similarities-with-trump">compared the new British prime minister to Donald Trump</a>. But beyond the trademark hair, bombast and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/sep/07/boris-johnson-wife-affair-tories-party-cheat-liar">colorful private life</a>, there are important differences. </p>
<p>While racial grievance is a favored Trump <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/20/us/politics/trump-race-record.html">campaign tactic</a>, Johnson has long been more interested in what works, politically. Right now, populism works. Whether it will in the future is to be seen. </p>
<p>That expediency is leading Johnson into the arms of the White House. He was Trump’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/01/trump-backs-boris-johnson-tory-leadership-calls-duchess-sussex-nasty">favored candidate</a> in the Conservative Party leadership election. Recent reporting by The Guardian has revealed links <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jun/22/video-reveals-steve-bannon-links-to-boris-johnson">between Johnson and Steve Bannon</a>, the former far-right Trump adviser.</p>
<p>Relations with the U.S. are critical to the success of Brexit. Supporters believe a <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/152728/american-right-wingers-driving-britain-toward-hard-brexit">massive trade deal with the U.S.</a> will make up for lost European markets after Britain leaves the EU. Perhaps this is why Johnson <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/14/donald-trump-boris-johnson-kim-darroch-ambassador">withheld support from the former ambassador to the U.S.</a>, who described the Trump administration as incompetent, forcing his resignation. </p>
<p>But ties to the White House might not help Johnson in the long-run. Voters worry that a U.K.-U.S. deal will give greedy American insurance companies access to the beloved <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/us-takes-aim-at-the-uks-national-health-service/">National Health Service</a> and allow <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/13/chlorinated-chicken-poultry-threat-to-us-uk-trade-deal-post-brexit.html">cheap American chicken</a> onto British dinner tables. </p>
<p>Then there is Trump himself. One of the few things the British agree on is their dislike of the president: He currently enjoys an <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/257996/few-trump-fans-united-kingdom.aspx">approval rating of 26%</a>.</p>
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Luke Reader does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Just what is Boris Johnson, the UK’s new prime minister: a liberal or conservative? A historian writing a book about Brexit, the focus of much of Johnson’s career, says the man is hard to pin down.Luke Reader, Teaching Fellow, History Department, Case Western Reserve UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1049002018-11-08T23:20:17Z2018-11-08T23:20:17ZAmericans elected mayors who care about climate change<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244638/original/file-20181108-74763-1ewzqyi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Do events like the Global Action Climate Summit raise the profile of politicians like New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Climate-Summit/47141dee457845b8aaa98b8c2d39422f/13/0">AP Photo/Eric Risberg</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Being pro-environment was a winning strategy for this country’s mayors. </p>
<p>Twelve mayors in <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Largest_cities_in_the_United_States_by_population">America’s 100 largest cities</a> faced re-election battles during the 2018 midterms, and mayors – both Democrats and Republicans – who followed pro-environmental policies were rewarded. All six mayors who had demonstrated their commitment to the environment by signing the <a href="https://www.globalcovenantofmayors.org/">Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy</a> – including Stephen Adler of Austin, Texas, Greg Fischer of Louisville, Kentucky, and Libby Schaff of Oakland, California – won re-election. The other big city mayors in re-election battles weren’t so fortunate – two won, two lost and two are facing runoffs. </p>
<p>Of course, voters consider many issues when they cast their ballot. It’s unlikely that the environment was the deciding issue in these races. However, mayors that prioritize the environment seem to be making changes in their cities that please constituents. The positive election results in 2018 were not an anomaly – all 15 mayors who signed the covenant and sought re-election in the last two years have been victorious at the ballot box, usually by large margins.</p>
<p>Mayors with pro-environmental agendas aren’t just popular. I believe they are an important part of the answer to the global challenge of climate change.</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com.hk/citations?hl=en&view_op=list_works&gmla=AJsN-F5IF2AecbpfKBzIsX9uucHr6rUCySSntgZ7Ma-5Umc-0Z2sbJQsDdexI1ngxfKa1wBmI3hJmQd76j_gNp1cgMXFV4xl_Q&user=qOVNjyEAAAAJ">scholar</a> of civil society and environmental policy – this is just one of the positive signs I see not just in American cities, but around the world.</p>
<h2>Climate change is urgent</h2>
<p>A month before the election, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued its <a href="http://www.ipcc.ch/report/sr15/">latest report</a> about the risks associated with climate change. The news was bad. Our planet is now expected to reach a 1.5 degrees Celsius increase in average global temperatures as early as 2030. One billion people will regularly endure conditions of extreme heat. Sea levels will rise, exposing between 31 and 69 million people to flooding. Seventy to 90 percent of coral reefs will die. Fishery catches will decline by 1.5 million tons. And that is if we are lucky and keep the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, which will not be easy. </p>
<p>As my colleague <a href="https://gyohe.faculty.wesleyan.edu/">Gary Yohe</a> reflected in a recent New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/07/climate/ipcc-report-half-degree.html">article</a>, “2 degrees is aspirational and 1.5 degrees is ridiculously aspirational.” At exactly a time when we need to become more ambitious in our efforts to tackle this global problem, the United States has pulled out of the Paris agreement and is dismantling many of its clean energy and other climate policies at home. One of my students recently expressed a common feeling of helplessness: “It makes me wonder if the best thing I can do is just go out in the backyard and compost myself.”</p>
<p>So, I’d like to say: There is hope. While the president of the United States may not be making much progress, many other people are. The election of pro-environment <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2018/09/global-climate-action-summit-brings-surge-of-new-commitments/">mayors and governors</a> is one excellent sign. </p>
<h2>Cities take the lead</h2>
<p>A number of U.S. cities have gained global reputations for their innovative responses to the challenge of climate change. </p>
<p>Once one of America’s most polluted cities, <a href="https://pittsburghgreenstory.com/">Pittsburgh</a> has demonstrated how <a href="https://www.100resilientcities.org/cities/pittsburgh/">creative collaborations</a> with the private sector, nonprofits, philanthropists and academics can turn toxic urban environments into one of America’s <a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/local/neighborhood/2018/08/20/Pittsburgh-No-2-most-livable-city-America-32-global-liveability-index-Economist/stories/201808200090">most livable cities</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244644/original/file-20181108-74766-1pkria.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244644/original/file-20181108-74766-1pkria.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/244644/original/file-20181108-74766-1pkria.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244644/original/file-20181108-74766-1pkria.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244644/original/file-20181108-74766-1pkria.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244644/original/file-20181108-74766-1pkria.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244644/original/file-20181108-74766-1pkria.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/244644/original/file-20181108-74766-1pkria.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">A 2011 wildfire damaged dozens of homes in Austin, Texas.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/Search?query=wildfire+Austin%2C+TX&ss=10&st=kw&entitysearch=&toItem=15&orderBy=Newest&searchMediaType=allmedia">AP Photo/April Castro</a></span>
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<p>Austin’s vulnerability to climate related disasters, including drought, wildfires and hurricanes, has made it especially aggressive about addressing climate change. It has committed to being <a href="http://www.austintexas.gov/department/sustainability">net-zero greenhouse gas emitter by 2050</a>. Its innovations in developing and spreading renewable energy have earned it awards in <a href="https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-2018-grid-edge-innovation-awards#gs.QzbhfhE">green technology</a>, <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/austin-and-schenectady-mayors-win-top-honors-for-their-climate-protection-efforts-300662510.html">climate protection</a> and <a href="http://www.catellus.com/whats-new/hud-recognizes-city-of-austin-for-mueller-redevelopment-plan">redevelopment</a>. Austin’s pro-environmental efforts are <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/urban-expeditions/austin/austin-green-buildings-fight-urban-sprawl/">transforming the city</a> into a more livable place for its residents and a better one for the planet.</p>
<p>San Francisco, which reduced its carbon emissions by <a href="https://sfenvironment.org/carbon-footprint">30 percent between 1990 and 2016</a>, cemented its global leadership position by hosting the <a href="https://www.globalclimateactionsummit.org/">2018 Climate Action Summit</a> this past September, which gathered 4,500 leaders from local governments, nongovernmental organizations and business together to address climate change. The summit resulted in numerous corporate and city commitments to become <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/global-climatechange-summit/u-s-climate-summit-aims-for-a-new-carbon-goal-zero-idUSL2N1VZ28C">carbon neutral</a>, as well as <a href="http://sdg.iisd.org/news/gcas-inspires-new-climate-commitments-urges-national-governments-to-step-up-climate-action-by-2020/">trillions of dollars</a> of investment in climate action. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/nycghg.pdf">New York City</a> reduced its emissions by 15 percent between 2005 and 2015. Its residents have a carbon footprint that it only one-third that of the average American. The mayor of the financial capital of the United States has also become a champion of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/10/nyregion/new-york-city-fossil-fuel-divestment.html">oil divestment</a>.</p>
<p>These American cities are not alone. They are part of a global movement working to combat climate change. The <a href="https://www.globalcovenantofmayors.org/">Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy</a> has more than 9,000 local governments from 127 countries representing more than 770 million residents committed to making headway on climate change. <a href="https://www.c40.org/">C40</a>, <a href="http://www.iclei.org/">ICLEI</a>, <a href="https://www.metropolis.org/">Metropolis</a>, <a href="https://www.uclg.org/">United Cities and Local Governments</a> and other organizations are helping cities find solutions that work and implement them. </p>
<p>As in the U.S., global cities are also making significant progress on climate change. <a href="http://www.kankyo.metro.tokyo.jp/en/climate/index.files/GHG2015.pdf">Tokyo</a> reduced its energy consumption more than 20 percent between 2000 and 2015, with the industrial and transportation sectors making astounding 41 percent and 42 percent reduction respectively. By 2015, the city of <a href="https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/leggi">London</a> had reduced its emissions 25 percent since 1990, and 33 percent since peak emissions in 2000.</p>
<p>These cities are not waiting for presidents and prime ministers to act, they’re <a href="https://www.cdp.net/en/cities/cities-stepping-up">making changes right now</a> that are improving the lives of the tens of millions of their own residents by improving air quality, reducing flooding risk and expanding green space, all while helping to bend the global emissions curve downward.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/104900/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mary Alice Haddad has received funding from the Japan Foundation, Japan-US Friendship Committee, and the East Asian Institute.</span></em></p>Big city mayors with serious commitments to limiting greenhouse gases did well at the polls on Tuesday.Mary Alice Haddad, Professor, Wesleyan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/683882016-11-15T13:23:09Z2016-11-15T13:23:09ZNew night mayors could make cities’ dreams come true – here’s how<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146045/original/image-20161115-31138-1np4ulz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/flayvin/22993463445/sizes/l">James_Beard/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayor-reveals-uks-first-ever-night-czar">recently announced</a> the identity of the city’s first ever “night czar”. Amy Lamé, a British television and radio personality, was the successful candidate of a competition that garnered hundreds of applicants. She will earn a £35,000 salary, working two-and-a-half days a week, to promote London’s nightlife and champion the city’s <a href="http://londonfirst.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Londons-24-hour-economy.pdf">£26.3 billion</a> night-time economy. </p>
<p>This move will fulfil one of Khan’s key election pledges, to support nocturnal venues and cultural industries. Lamé’s appointment also plays into the mayor’s <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/about-us/mayor-london/londonisopen">#LondonIsOpen</a> campaign, designed to show the world that London remains entrepreneurial, international, and welcoming to the creative industries. Khan has based the role on a model pioneered in Amsterdam: the office of “nachtburgemeester” – literally, a night mayor. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"795658228931633152"}"></div></p>
<p>Amsterdam elected its first night mayor <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/21/night-mayor-amsterdam-holland-mirik-milan-night-time-commission">in 2003</a>, at a time when the city’s famed nightlife was widely perceived to be in decline. The position was created by a coalition of night-time industry representatives and local government officials, to mediate between different interest groups and advocate for the night-time economy. </p>
<p>The current night mayor of Amsterdam, Mirik Milan, was elected in 2012. A club promoter and outspoken supporter of urban nightlife, Milan <a href="http://nachtburgemeester.amsterdam/english/">contributes to</a> the policies which affect the city’s night-time economy. So far, he has successfully campaigned for 24-hour licenses (introduced in 2013) and positioned himself as the face of urban nightlife in the media; he is often called on to represent the producers and consumers of nocturnal culture.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146033/original/image-20161115-31120-16v82wd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146033/original/image-20161115-31120-16v82wd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146033/original/image-20161115-31120-16v82wd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146033/original/image-20161115-31120-16v82wd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146033/original/image-20161115-31120-16v82wd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146033/original/image-20161115-31120-16v82wd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146033/original/image-20161115-31120-16v82wd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Mirik Milan: night mayor by day.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/adam_nowek/29656271371/sizes/l">Adam Nowek/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
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<p>Milan has effectively advocated for his position, encouraging other cities around the world to create similar roles – he even <a href="http://nachtburgemeester.amsterdam/program-announcement-night-mayor-summit-2016/">hosted a global conference</a> about night mayors earlier this year. And it seems to be working; over the past few years, the concept has gone global. Paris, Berlin, Sydney, and now London, all have night mayors, as do Zurich and Shibuya, part of Tokyo. </p>
<p>The success of the night mayor – in any given city, and as a global phenomenon – rests on the capacity for a bustling urban nightlife to boost the local economy, by keeping people spending for longer. Vibrant nightscapes have also become a mark of cultural status for global cities. As Milan <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2016/mar/21/night-mayor-amsterdam-holland-mirik-milan-night-time-commission">argued</a>, they can be used to attract tourists, workers and international students. </p>
<h2>Building bridges</h2>
<p>The role is also about building coalitions and consensus around divisive issues. Nightclubs are often blamed for social problems, ranging from noise pollution, to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jun/26/fight-for-britains-nightlife-police-council-strangling-night-time-economy">anti-social behaviour</a> and illegal drug use. The recent closure of Fabric – an iconic London nightclub with a global following – is a case in point: despite <a href="https://www.change.org/p/save-london-s-nightlife-stop-the-closure-of-fabric">opposition from the public</a>, its <a href="https://theconversation.com/loss-of-fabric-nightclub-is-latest-blow-to-londons-cultural-capital-65065">license was revoked</a> by the local council, following a review into two drug-related deaths at the venue over the summer. </p>
<p>Fabric is simply the most recent victim in a series of high-profile closures. In the last decade, the number of nightclubs has <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/leisure/11794792/Why-are-Britains-nightclubs-in-such-a-desperate-situation.html">nearly halved</a>. But punitive regulation is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/aug/13/what-happened-to-the-great-london-nightclubs">not the only factor</a>: gentrification presents another <a href="http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/dalston-club-dance-tunnel-announces-shock-closure-but-owners-hope-for-better-venue-a3226601.html">increasingly serious threat</a> to the economic viability of nightclubs, with rising property values driving up rents. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146039/original/image-20161115-31120-1xk0q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146039/original/image-20161115-31120-1xk0q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146039/original/image-20161115-31120-1xk0q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146039/original/image-20161115-31120-1xk0q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=381&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146039/original/image-20161115-31120-1xk0q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146039/original/image-20161115-31120-1xk0q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/146039/original/image-20161115-31120-1xk0q0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=479&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Rents they are a-rising.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanbury/10844616245/sizes/l">FlickrDelusions/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span>
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<p>Yet managing a growing global city at night also has much to do with service provision, infrastructure flexibility, cultural sensibility and urban safety. As the Greater London Authority (GLA) itself <a href="https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/night-tube-services-will-launch-on-19-august">admits</a>, demand for night-time travel is on the rise, with late night tube usage is increasing at double the rate of daytime trips (over 170% since 2000). </p>
<p>While the mayor’s office and the GLA may have come out in support of London’s nightlife and nocturnal culture, they will need to work alongside Lamé toward building a far broader consensus. For instance, licensing falls within the jurisdiction of London’s boroughs, so local councillors will need to be brought on board. Protecting nightlife venues requires bringing diverse, and sometimes hostile, parties to the table. Appointing a night czar is a start – but it may take more than that to nurture London’s nightlife.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/68388/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kate Newman receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and from Fulbright Canada.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michele Acuto receives funding from the UK's Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the World Bank Group, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).</span></em></p>Cities are realising that having great nightlife is not just about entertainment – it also means a 24-hour economy.Katherine Alexandra Newman, PhD Candidate, University of VictoriaMichele Acuto, Professor of Diplomacy and Urban Theory, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/590432016-05-10T11:21:46Z2016-05-10T11:21:46ZThe Northern Powerhouse needs to be more than a slogan<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121684/original/image-20160509-20612-u56ltx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Is the government turning its back on localism?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">DavidGraham86/shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/local-elections-how-the-parties-fared-59013">local elections</a> that took place across England were somewhat overshadowed by the <a href="https://theconversation.com/sadiq-khan-british-dream-now-a-reality-for-londons-first-muslim-mayor-58945">London Mayoral contest</a>, along with the fifth cycle of elections to devolved national institutions in Northern Ireland, <a href="https://theconversation.com/scottish-election-2016-disaster-for-labour-reality-check-for-the-snp-and-the-tories-are-back-59007">Scotland</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/wales-ukip-and-plaid-gain-new-assembly-seats-as-labour-holds-on-to-power-59012">Wales</a>. </p>
<p>The lack of relative profile given to the English local council elections appears to reflect the contradictory approach of a Conservative government. On the one hand arguing that <a href="http://www.localism-agenda.com/background/">localism</a> should be advanced, while at the same time viewing local government democracy as a relatively <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/dec/17/councils-face-billions-more-budget-cuts-april-england-local-authorities-funding-settlement">trivial matter</a>.</p>
<p>This is a partial and profoundly misleading depiction. The local dimension plays a key role in the democratic process, operating at a closer level to citizens and thus providing a significant link between politics and the people. </p>
<p>However, the civic relationship between citizens and local government has been complicated by ongoing <a href="http://www.ippr.org/publications/decentralisation-decade">decentralisation of the governance</a> of England over the past two years – with the North of England most affected. This is because the region has proven central to the “<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-unveils-devolution-revolution">devolution revolution</a>”, heralded by George Osborne. </p>
<p>Two interconnected and overlapping political projects, the so-called “<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-northern-powerhouse-what-actually-is-it-50927">Northern Powerhouse</a>” and a series of “<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-leave-schools-out-of-new-deals-for-city-regions-39888">city region deals</a>”, have sought to redress regional economic imbalances, give (allegedely) more powers to local authorities, and enhance political leadership via the introduction of directly elected metro mayors. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121695/original/image-20160509-20575-1eve2o4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121695/original/image-20160509-20575-1eve2o4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121695/original/image-20160509-20575-1eve2o4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121695/original/image-20160509-20575-1eve2o4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121695/original/image-20160509-20575-1eve2o4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121695/original/image-20160509-20575-1eve2o4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121695/original/image-20160509-20575-1eve2o4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Whitby pier: Part of Osborne’s Powerhouse?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/darrenflinders/17208229128/in/photolist-sdCEZE-d56Lry-s3cwuz-ckg1LQ-perXqB-nKpXSp-e7VpfB-rvHcpi-8zjaQ4-bbKGgx-2hPgpq-tpoWt5-8ZCM4a-of3DQ2-n1mAcU-pehbJ5-8puHbm-ifY4ne-oB1es7-rjq5VJ-fNxDJg-7VQMWc-tQaFrb-pkAkQQ-qm1GMe-s1uu8h-qgVKhM-rxNGoL-8iPVh1-dLT4sm-85qR8D-sifhko-aTbF5p-nQqcj3-f5DdNj-6hPDsx-5p7A7B-pgfpzK-pJFGYX-bzuKbq-rYFNJz-dY9PdQ-kJsCr5-oagHBr-7r1zSX-qqtu4K-8Ntk7D-obX3oc-9r6qAo-fc8Xg4">Darren Flinders/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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</figure>
<p>However, looking at last week’s local elections results, there seems to be little to suggest that the Conservative government’s focus on rejuvenating the economic fortunes of the North has encouraged greater citizen participation. Some suggest that one of the principle objectives of the “Northern Powerhouse” initiative is to provide opportunities for the Conservatives to make inroads into <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-labour-under-jeremy-corbyn-is-stuck-on-repeat-after-this-poor-election-showing-59020">Labour’s Northern strongholds</a>. However, the elections’ results highlight that this could take some time. </p>
<p>Labour maintained its electoral stranglehold on the main metropolitan centres of the North, with few examples of a Conservative “city revival”. The Conservatives strengthened their presence in many of the North’s rural localities, allowing them to challenge claims of a North South political divide. </p>
<p>What was worrying though was the number of votes for the mayoral elections in Liverpool and Salford – where turnout was <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2016-36204443">30.9%</a> and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2016-36204444">30%</a> – hardly ringing public endorsements for the principle of <a href="https://theconversation.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-mayoral-elections-58319">directly elected mayors</a> after two election cycles. Although turnout in the London mayoral election increased from <a href="https://www.londonelects.org.uk/news-centre/results-and-past-elections/results-2012">38%</a> to <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2016/may/06/uk-elections-sadiq-khan-ahead-in-london-mayoral-race-live-updates">45.3%</a>, the campaign itself drew attention to the potential that personality focused approaches to political leadership often encourage crass and reductive electoral politics. </p>
<p>Only in Bristol, did the <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/may/08/marvin-rees-bristol-mayor-racist-past">mayoral election campaign</a> capture the electorate’s imagination to a much <a href="https://www.bristol.gov.uk/voting-elections/mayor-election-result">greater extent than in 2012</a> – the turnout was higher at <a href="https://www.bristol.gov.uk/voting-elections/mayoral-election-2016-turnout">44.87%</a>. As it stands, turnout for mayoral elections in England has not been over 50% of the electorate – which does not bode well for the forthcoming Greater Manchester mayoral elections to be held in May 2017.</p>
<h2>The power in Powerhouse</h2>
<p>The extent that the “Northern Powerhouse” and city deals initiatives will energise local democracy is open to debate, particularly as many of these reforms have been introduced without citizens being consulted. </p>
<p>The primary focus of the “Northern Powerhouse” narrative has largely been on the <a href="http://speri.dept.shef.ac.uk/2015/09/22/the-scottish-indyref-one-year-on/">technocratic development of economic synergies through transport infrastructure – with little consideration of its democratic ramifications</a>. Meaning that the democratic link between the “Northern Powerhouse”, city region devolution and civic engagement has been largely overlooked by politicians at both a national and local level.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121691/original/image-20160509-20581-18zr1bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121691/original/image-20160509-20581-18zr1bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=343&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121691/original/image-20160509-20581-18zr1bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=343&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121691/original/image-20160509-20581-18zr1bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=343&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121691/original/image-20160509-20581-18zr1bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121691/original/image-20160509-20581-18zr1bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121691/original/image-20160509-20581-18zr1bz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Government has shied away from putting Greater Manchester at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse plan.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shahid Khan/shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There has been little consideration of the impact of developing amalgamated city regional governmental frameworks on the role and resonance of local councillors in their communities. Few “backbench” local councillors have been consulted or involved in the signing of “devo-deals”. They are, in many ways, as uncertain as most citizens about the design and purpose of decentralisation. </p>
<p>The development of city region government raises the possibility that <a href="http://blog.politics.ox.ac.uk/behold-the-manchester-withington-question/">local councillors will be disempowered and become increasingly peripheral</a>. The increasingly complicated formations of <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-northern-powerhouse-what-actually-is-it-50927">city-regional government</a> – evident in the diverse forms of “city-deals” signed so far across the North – could leave citizens confused. With the potential to lead to further disengagement from a system people barely understand. </p>
<h2>Oil the wheels</h2>
<p>The transfer of some policy making traditionally associated with local government to combined authorities means that citizens are increasingly unclear about <a href="https://www.gov.uk/understand-how-your-council-works/decision-making">who is responsible for what</a>, especially in terms of public service delivery in their local communities. It is likely that many citizens will lack the necessary political literacy to understand the respective responsibilities of their local councillors, city region representatives, and MPs.</p>
<p>All this seems to suggest that the “goodwill” of central government, combined local authorities and businesses alone will not be sufficient to put real power into the North if the people are not with them. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121693/original/image-20160509-20609-b02x4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/121693/original/image-20160509-20609-b02x4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121693/original/image-20160509-20609-b02x4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121693/original/image-20160509-20609-b02x4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=335&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121693/original/image-20160509-20609-b02x4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121693/original/image-20160509-20609-b02x4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/121693/original/image-20160509-20609-b02x4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=421&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Tees transporter bridge.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Graham McAndrew/shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Without plugging into local politics and democracy, the “Northern Powerhouse” will likely lack the popular support it needs to function, remaining only a slogan or an abstract concept that fails to captures the imagination of citizens across the North.</p>
<p>The role of local politics is integral to the success or otherwise of both the “Northern Powerhouse” and “city-region” agendas, especially in terms of democratic accountability and legitimacy. And it is unlikely that either will flourish in the public perception if, as suggested by the results of the recent election, we see a continuing disconnect at local level.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/59043/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A closer look at the recent local elections can help to shine a light on the future of the “Northern Powerhouse” and its impact on local democracy in the North of England.Andrew Mycock, Reader in Politics, University of HuddersfieldArianna Giovannini, Lecturer in Politics, University of HuddersfieldLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/589452016-05-06T20:05:25Z2016-05-06T20:05:25ZSadiq Khan: British dream now a reality for London’s first Muslim mayor<p>In Pakistan, the chances that the son of a bus or rickshaw driver could secure a high-ranking political position in the country’s capital city are minuscule. But now, the people of London <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/sadiq-khan-wins-london-mayor-election-result-2016-zac-goldsmith-a7017106.html">have elected Sadiq Khan</a> – the son of an immigrant Pakistani bus driver – to be their first Muslim mayor. </p>
<p>While unable to influence the nation’s foreign or economic policy, Khan will <a href="http://www.london.gov.uk/WHAT-WE-DO">have responsibility</a> for key areas in London, such as transport, housing, policing and the environment. And being directly elected gives the London mayor <a href="https://theconversation.com/who-are-the-main-contenders-for-london-mayor-and-what-do-they-stand-for-57391">a personal mandate</a> which no other parliamentarian in Westminster – including those in the cabinet – enjoy. </p>
<p>Khan’s father was one of hundreds of Pakistani men who migrated to Britain in the 1950’s and 1960’s, seeking the UK’s version of the American dream: stable employment, social mobility and opportunities for a better future for themselves and their families. One of eight children, Khan grew up on a council estate in the capital. He went to university to study law and practised as a solicitor in human rights cases before becoming a member of parliament. </p>
<p>Now, at the age of 45, he is mayor of London: the economic and cultural heart of the UK, the largest city in western Europe and one of the most important cities in the world. He is the immigrant success story – for him, the British dream has become a reality. </p>
<h2>Race and religion</h2>
<p>Khan’s Islamic faith catapulted the city’s mayoral contest into the international limelight, at a time when Muslims are facing growing hostility in the West. In the US, presidential hopeful Donald Trump <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/07/donald-trump-ban-all-muslims-entering-us-san-bernardino-shooting">has said</a> that he will ban Muslims from entering the country; while in Europe, the far right is gaining traction by campaigning on <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-europe-migrants-protests-germany-idUSKCN0VF0P4">explicitly anti-Muslim platforms</a>. </p>
<p>During the mayoral campaign, Khan’s “Muslimness” was viewed as a liability by some – including members of <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/01/moderate-sadiq-khan-london-mayor-muslim-labour">his own party</a>. His Conservative rival, Zac Goldsmith, accused Khan of <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/24/sadiq-khan-unfit-to-be-london-mayor-says-zac-goldsmith/">sharing platforms</a> with Islamic extremists – the implication was clear: that the public should be wary of his “radical” views. Goldsmith’s highly controversial campaign has been heavily criticised – notably by senior Conservative <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/may/06/zac-goldsmith-attacked-by-senior-tory-over-tactics-in-london-mayor-election?CMP=share_btn_tw">Andrew Boff</a> – for its divisive <a href="http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/media/2016/03/deafening-dogwhistle-zac-goldsmith-s-london-mayoral-campaign-leaflets">“dog-whistle” politics</a>. </p>
<p>Khan’s victory supports what a number of Muslim commentators <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/mar/01/moderate-sadiq-khan-london-mayor-muslim-labour">have argued all along</a>: that having a Muslim mayor could help defeat Islamist ideology, by showing that the West is not anti-Islam – and that Muslims can “make it” there. Khan himself <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/jul/02/a-muslim-mayor-of-london-would-send-message-to-the-haters-says-sadiq-khan">has spoken</a> about the symbolic value of becoming the first Muslim mayor of a city which experienced <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-weve-learned-about-radicalisation-since-7-7-bombings-a-decade-ago-44338">terrorist attacks</a> in 2005, perpetrated in the name of Islam. </p>
<h2>Power and privilege</h2>
<p>But Khan’s victory says as much about social mobility as it does about race and religion. Had Khan’s father stayed in Pakistan, it is inconceivable that his son would have succeeded in that country’s political system, where privilege and connections <a href="http://europe.newsweek.com/power-and-privilege-146857?rm=eu">win elections</a>. There, political office is often viewed as the birth right of the elite. Indeed, the UK has educated a great many of Pakistan’s political leaders: Mohammad Ali Jinnah – the founder of Pakistan – studied in England in the late 19th century. And Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was educated at Oxford, went on to serve as both as prime minister and president.</p>
<p>By contrast, many Pakistanis who migrated to the UK in the post-war era were <a href="http://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9781137275158">subsistence farmers and manual labourers</a>. In many cases, they were illiterate in their own mother tongue. They took up positions in the service industries of the south, the factories and foundries of the Midlands and the mills of northern England. And while some succeeded in pulling themselves out of poverty, the UK’s Pakistani community still has some of the <a href="http://www.ethnicity.ac.uk/medialibrary/briefingsupdated/Ethnic%20inequalities%20in%20labour%20market%20participation.pdf">highest levels of unemployment</a> and underachievement in the UK. Many British Pakistanis live in some of <a href="http://www.ethnicity.ac.uk/medialibrary/briefingsupdated/ethnicity-and-deprivation-in-england-how-likely-are-ethnic-minorities-to-live-in-deprived-neighbourhoods%20(1).pdf">the UK’s most deprived neighbourhoods</a>. </p>
<p>And of course, British politics is also now dominated by an “old boys’ network”: the cliques of Etonions and Bullingdon club members, personified by the prime minister, David Cameron, the chancellor, George Osborne – and indeed London’s outgoing mayor, Boris Johnson. Yet the working-class Khan managed to win out against a Conservative rival with family pedigree, wealth and friends in powerful political, media and business circles. </p>
<p>For many, this is a triumph of meritocracy over privilege – a sign that the political establishment is becoming more inclusive and representative of the ethnic, religious and socioeconomic diversity of the wider population. And Khan is not the only second-generation Pakistani to have entered high political office in the UK. Sajid Javid, the current secretary of state for Business, Innovation and Skills, is the son of a Pakistani immigrant who worked in the mills of the north before becoming a bus driver. So too did the father of Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, who rose to become a member of David Cameron’s cabinet, and was the first Muslim woman to sit at the highest table in the land. In the 2015 general election alone, ten individuals of Pakistani heritage were elected to the British parliament. </p>
<p>And now, in London, the son of a Pakistani immigrant bus driver is in charge. He has become Europe’s most powerful Muslim politician. Khan’s victory has shown us that the British dream can become a reality.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/58945/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Parveen Akhtar is the recipient of British Academy and Economic and Social Research Council research grants. This article does not reflect the views of the research councils. </span></em></p>The working-class son of a bus driver has been elected to one of the most important roles in UK politics.Parveen Akhtar, Lecturer in Political Science, Aston Centre for Europe, Aston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/583192016-04-26T14:33:17Z2016-04-26T14:33:17ZEverything you need to know about the mayoral elections<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/120042/original/image-20160425-22383-1eunzc1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Foot voting</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ververidis Vasilis/shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>On May 5 when the UK next heads to the polls for local and regional elections, voters in London, Salford, Liverpool and Bristol will have an extra choice to make – who they want to become their next <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayors_in_England">directly elected mayor</a>.</p>
<p>Directly elected mayors have a great deal of power – unlike their purely ceremonial counterparts who tend to be senior councillors wearing the robes of office and tasked with carrying out a range of civic duties. Directly elected mayors are there to exercise political leadership and to “get things done”.</p>
<p>London was the first to have this post, but by the middle of next year there will be more than <a href="http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/birmingham-agrees-elected-mayor-2017-10453952">20 elected mayors</a> across England. And in the recent budget, the chancellor of the exchequer, George Osborne, spoke about <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/budget-2016-three-more-regions-of-england-are-to-get-elected-mayors-and-access-to-billions-in-a6935476.html">increasing the numbers again</a> which could mean more to come.</p>
<p>The modern London mayoralty began back in 2000 following a referendum in London which supported the creation of a mayor and a Greater London Authority and provided legislation to introduce the <a href="https://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/about-the-city/the-lord-mayor/Pages/history-of-the-mayoralty.aspx">structures</a>. </p>
<p>More positions were created shortly afterwards, in places as different as Bedford, Doncaster, Lewisham and Middlesbrough. Tony Blair <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1482482/Blairs-pet-idea-for-elected-mayors-revived.html">was an enthusiast</a> as is <a href="http://www.lgiu.org.uk/2009/02/17/conservative-green-paper-on-localism-today-mayors-and-capping-headline/">David Cameron</a> – and the push to create more elected mayors has continued ever since. Mayoral elections are for a fixed term, which means those mayors last elected in 2012 will face a contest this year. Terms of office – assuming no death, resignation or disqualification – are four years long. </p>
<h2>For or against?</h2>
<p>Those in favour argue that mayors can provide strong local leadership. Research looking at the impact of the <a href="http://www.centreforcities.org/blog/impact-mayor-george-ferguson-bristol/">mayor in Bristol</a> has shown that the introduction of an elected mayor directly resulted in an increase in the visibility of city leadership. But those against say that the creation of elected mayors actually reduces local democracy with most elected representatives having little or no power. </p>
<p>This is because the more power belongs to the one figure, the less power each individual councillor has. An example is that whereas an adminstration’s budget could be defeated by a majority, the mayoral budget requires a two-thirds majority. Mayors also may not feel answerable to elected councillors because rather than being elected by the council (as council leaders are) the mayor has a direct mandate. </p>
<p>The decision to have a mayor is often taken by a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-35775613">referendum</a>, although there are examples – <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-16938425">such as in Liverpool</a> – where local people were not consulted and the mayor was elected by the council. Decisions have also been revoked – both Stoke and Hartlepool decided to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-34841438">abandon the role</a> after controversies. Hartlepool’s elected mayor, Stuart Drummond, was an independent candidate best known for his role as the local football team’s <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/1965569.stm">monkey mascot</a>. And a lot of other local electorates in England and Wales have actually rejected the idea altogether.</p>
<p>Despite the significance of these positions, turnout in mayoral elections has been low – participation in the last London contest <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_mayoral_election,_2012">did not reach 40%</a>. And in Liverpool, back in 2012, <a href="http://councillors.liverpool.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=224&RPID=2828867">just over 31%</a> cast a vote. Politicians know that turnout is partly driven by a sense of a close contest, but in London there was a perception of a contest and yet still the turnout was low.</p>
<h2>What does the role mean?</h2>
<p>Being an elected mayor is a big job. The largest constituency in Liverpool has an electorate of around <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_district_of_Liverpool">70,000</a>, while the figure for the mayoral contest is closer to <a href="http://councillors.liverpool.gov.uk/mgElectionAreaResults.aspx?ID=224&RPID=2828867">320,000</a>. </p>
<p>The powers of elected mayors vary – but they have great symbolic importance and individuals can develop a strong personal presence, becoming “Mr Salford” or “Mrs Watford” for example. The focus on the individual also encourages image building. The first directly elected mayor of Middlesbrough, former senior Cleveland police officer Ray Mallon became <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2008/jul/17/police.localgovernment1">known as Robocop </a> by many, </p>
<p>Many MPs or former MPs also seem to view becoming an elected mayor as a good career move – and in London both <a href="https://theconversation.com/echoes-of-the-distant-past-in-englands-modern-battles-to-be-mayor-57767">main players</a> are current MPs. Leicester’s elected mayor is former MP <a href="http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council/city-mayor-peter-soulsby/">Peter Soulsby</a>, while <a href="http://www.salford.gov.uk/your-council/city-mayor/contact-the-city-mayor/">Ian Stewart</a> in Salford was MP for Eccles at one time, and former MP <a href="http://www.sion-simon.com/">Sion Simon</a> reportedly plans to contest the West Midlands post next year.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/120045/original/image-20160425-22378-t44uav.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/120045/original/image-20160425-22378-t44uav.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/120045/original/image-20160425-22378-t44uav.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/120045/original/image-20160425-22378-t44uav.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=397&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/120045/original/image-20160425-22378-t44uav.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/120045/original/image-20160425-22378-t44uav.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/120045/original/image-20160425-22378-t44uav.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=499&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Who wins? You decide.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">BasPhoto/Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How does the voting work?</h2>
<p>Voting in the mayoral elections is a little different to voting in local or parliamentary contests – the system used is the <a href="http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/supplementary-vote">supplementary vote</a>. This basically means that electors get a first choice and a second. </p>
<p>If no candidate reaches the 50% threshold, only the top two remain in the fight and all the other ballot papers have their second choices transferred. This clearly affects campaign strategies and messaging – annoy the supporters of every other candidate and you are unlikely to get second preferences. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_mayoral_election,_2012">Boris Johnson</a> <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17946742">needed second choice</a> votes to get across the line in 2012.</p>
<p>There is also the consideration of how the other polls happening on the same day will influence the way people vote. While we might want to believe that voters carefully consider each role separately before making their choice, we know that the presence of one very popular or very unpopular individual on one ballot paper is likely to affect thinking about others.</p>
<p>I voted by post today and had three ballot papers: mayor, police and crime commissioner, local councillor – which is a lot of decisions to make about our future leaders in one go. If elected mayors are to have the legitimacy the government desires then electoral engagement needs to increase. But it’s not the voters fault if they don’t see the point. It is down to mayors themselves to become better at making us see them as relevant enough to care about.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/58319/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paula Keaveney is a member of the Liberal Democrats and has been an elected City Councillor and Leader of the Opposition in Liverpool.</span></em></p>May 2016 sees contests for the position of elected mayor in four major cities across England.Paula Keaveney, Senior Lecturer in Public Relations and Politics, Edge Hill UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.