Boriswatch Episode II: Election of the Clones

Fans of Boris from outside London can rejoice: you might be getting a Mayor of your very own. According to the Times, David Cameron is laying out plans to allow a referendum on whether or not other big cities in the UK would like an elected official to hold the same position as BoJo.

As it stands, any council can ask to have a Mayor, but it seems the Tories believe that a referendum would highlight the issue and bring new desire for a radical shake-up of local governments. It’s hard to deny that Boris has captured the public’s imagination in a way that’s not often found in local politics, and this should have a positive effect on the future of our national municipalities.

The article does have a great deal of other points to make about the Conservatives’ plans for local government — not all of them pleasing to all parties, it would appear — but it looks as though the idea of having local Mayors at the forefront of planning decisions is a popular one. What do you think? Does local politics need spicing up, and is this the way to do it? Are we destined for cheap Boris knock-offs that won’t capture the public’s interest nearly so well? Would anyone even want a Mayor anyway? Let us know in the comments.