Mayor/chairman and directly elected mayor

Explain the difference in the role between a directly elected Mayor and Chairman or Mayor of a Council.

Directly elected Mayor

The directly elected Mayor is an executive mayor, who leads the community, speaks up for the borough and makes key decisions about local services. For example, in Newham, the directly elected mayor is Sir Robin Wales, in Lewisham, he is Sir Steve Bullock.

The role of the directly elected mayor is to lead the council and proposes the council's budget and policy framework, unlike many authorities, where the role of Mayor is ceremonial.

Once the framework is set, the directly elected Mayor then implements these policies and takes all day to day decisions to run the council except those that have to be taken by full council by law, such as changing the council's constitution.

The directly elected mayor is voted in by their local electors under 'Supplementary System' in a separate ballot run alongside the main council elections in their areas.

Chairman/Mayor of the Council

The chairman/mayor of the Council is elected by the members of the council Annual General Meeting in May of each year.

Chair/mayor is the ceremonial head of the council. He or she must be a serving councillor, but must remain politically impartial. A chairman/mayor must not be a member of the cabinet.

Chairman's ceremonial duty includes: being the politically impartial civic leader; promoting the objectives and services of the council; acting as an ambassador for the council; fostering community identity and pride.

Chairman's key responsibility includes: presiding over meeting of the full council; accepting invitations on behalf of the councillors to attend events; inviting individual's and representatives of key organisation to the events at town/county hall and other venues.