Southwark Civic Review

[Community Cohesion]

Hello everyone,

Southwark Council is currently undertaking a review of its civic functions and the role of the Mayor.

As many of you will already know, the Southwark mayoralty is mainly a civic, ceremonial, and representational role, unlike the situation in other London boroughs such as Lewisham and Hackney where a Mayor is directly elected and exercises executive powers.

The review is overseen by a panel made up of The Mayor (Chair), The Deputy Mayor, The Leader, and The Deputy Leader. To help inform their decision-making we're asking residents of the borough to complete a short survey, aimed at gauging the level of knowledge and awareness of the role of the mayor and seeking your ideas as to how the office might be developed.

With this in mind, we'd very much like to gather the views of the East Dulwich Forum. This link will take you to the survey, where there's just 8 questions:

https://forms.southwark.gov.uk/ShowForm.asp?fm_fid=869

The survey closes on Thursday 31 January 2013.

[computedshorty]

Would this mean that the Mayor will have more Power?

Such as Power held by Boris.

Perhaps to make an Airport on the banks of the Thames at Southwark on stilts so not to impare the flow of the Thames, and the Flight Path over Southwark, Bermondsey Camberwell Dulwich to the Dawson Heights.

I see that the Mayor and his Committee would over see all suggestions

Will this be in the interest of the population Of Southwark?

[James Barber]

Amazingly the budget for the current Southwakr mayor is ?250,000 pa.

[computedshorty]

Southwark's Mayor

Councillor Althea Smith

was elected Mayor of Southwark at the Annual Meeting of Council Assembly on 23 May 2012 held at the council's offices in Tooley Street for the first time.

Co-opted councillor until her election as ward councillor for Labour for Nunhead.

Present at Meetings only twelve of a posible fifteen.

Could do better?

[Community Cohesion]

Hi James, it's not true to say that the budget for the Mayor of Southwark is ?250,000. The total budget for the civic office in Southwark is just under ?230,000 and that's approx 0.02% of the total budget for the borough. That percentage needs to be read carefully as it may seem at first glance as being 2%. It is in fact a tiny fraction of 1%. As an illustration it compares to 0.0002p in ?1.

The mayor is entitled to a personal allowance for his/her legitimate expenses incurred while carrying out the essential duties of the office.

Computedshorty - which meetings are you referring to when you say 'twelve of a possible fifteen'?

Southwark's mayor is a civic mayor as opposed to a directly elected (by the electorate) mayor with executive powers, such as applies in Hackney and Lewisham for example. This means that the review cannot result in any extension of the mayor's power in terms of executive decisions.

Logging off now for Christmas but will respond to any other messages from Dec 27.

[computedshorty]

It is available on record.

Attendance statistics for Councillor Althea Smith Statistic Count Percentage

Total expected attendances: 15

Present as expected: 12 80%

Apologies received: 2 67% of absences

Absent (incl. apologies): 3 20%

[Alex K]

The then Mayor swore me in, amongst a remarkable pick-and-mix of immigrants from EVERYWHERE, some years ago as a British subject, before a photoportrait of the Queen. He was in ceremonial robes, with a chain of office. I do not recollect if he had a sash.

We could for the budget cited keep one in a cupboard, on casters perhaps for ease of trundling from appearance to appearance, equipped with a mini-Tannoy bluetoothed to a recording. The sincerity would be much the same.

[macrobana]

> Community Engagement Division

[dulpostcardpat]

A previous post, still not able to do it?

Community Cohesion March 29, 01:15PM

Oh, I meant to add my full signature to this part of the thread.

I've been trying to change my posting name but can't seem to do it. I'd prefer to publish as me rather than sit behind a banner or pseudonym.

Any help?

__________________________________________

If you cant sort yourself out, why ask us to do your paid position with Southwark Borough Council.

We could do your job blindfold.

Without passing it on to others.

I dont think your Mayor Worship will save your section in the coming cuts to make way for her, as she will be able to do it herself.

[Community Cohesion]

dulpostcardpat - I submitted a request to the website last March asking for guidance on how to name change but received no reply. In the meantime, you will note that I am signing with my full name, job title, direct line, and mobile number. As for the rest of your message, I would be more than willing to discuss face to face or by telephone.

[Huguenot]

You may not have received a direct reply because it's been dealt with publicly in previous threads.

The site currently doesn't retrospectively change usernames as it creates confusion on the site if people have referred to a username which no longer exists.

If you want to use a different username then simply register a new name - your old posts will remain under the previous username.

[Community Cohesion]

Thanks. Given your insight, I think I'll let it be and continue to add a signature after each 'community cohesion' posting.

[computedshorty]

Might it not have been to your advantage to give a small detail of your part in the Department?

Thus:

What is Community Cohesion?

Community Cohesion is what must happen in all communities to help different groups of people get on well together through the integration of new and existing residents.

Our vision of an integrated and cohesive community is based on three foundations:

People from different backgrounds having similar life opportunities

People knowing their rights and responsibilities

People trusting one another and trusting local institutions to act fairly

And three key ways of living together:

A shared future vision and sense of belonging

A focus on what new and existing communities have in common, alongside a recognition of the value of diversity

Strong and positive relationships between people from different backgrounds.

___________________

It would be interesting to this Forum Members the response you get from those Members who have been influenced to fill the Form.

Could it be that the Mayor has now too much power?

Where does the advancement of the Mayor fall in this Department?

To date there has been no appreiceation from you, not even a " Thank you " for using this Forum.

[Community Cohesion]

I have publicly expressed my appreciation of this and similar community websites many times. Some years ago I attended a presentation at the Government Office for London (now no longer in existence) about the value of websites such as this. I clearly recall the Top 10 UK community websites being listed (in terms of their popularity) and The East Dulwich Forum was then at No.3. Ever since I have made use of any opportunity I had to let colleagues and others know about this and have in my own way tried to promote the good work it does, not least of all in terms of promoting community cohesion.

I recognise your summary of community cohesion as one written by me and I would be very happy to elaborate on it at some other point. However, my role in Southwark Council is also about promoting and managing our civic engagement programme and it is in this context that I have initiated this particular discussion thread.

As for the other points you raise:

I am part of the council's community engagement division, the Mayor of Southwark and her office are fundamentally committed to community engagement, and that's where the connection lies.

This review is not about the Mayor of Southwark having 'too much power'. Our mayor has the same amount of influence as any other civic head in any other London borough. It is an apolitical position with much potential to do good.

With this in mind, we are keen to develop the civic, ceremonial, and representational roles of the mayor and would be very interested in hearing how residents of Southwark think this might be done. The review panel will have its own ideas but it also needs to take your views on board. My job is to ensure that they are supplied with a cross section of public opinion. I'm very pleased to say that after just one week we have received almost 100 completed online surveys and we are very grateful for this too.

This is one of several ways in which we are gathering and documenting community views. The process began in November 2012 and will continue until February 2013. Other means include focus groups and 'vox populi' conversations.

Finally, I repeat my offer to have a discussion face to face or by telephone with you or any other forum user and the relevant contact details are in my signature.

[Huguenot]

I'm not sure there's enough information given for people to make educated judgements.

One obvious example is the question whether the Mayor should do more or less events - how can someone make this calculation without knowing what the current schedule is?

Unless the Mayor currently has unused time, the suggestion is that they must stop doing something they are doing now, in order to do something else instead.

Likewise your point about the ?230k allocated to the office is a good one - but what's the actual allocation of this budget? Salaries, overheads, travel costs etc.? For example, if ?50k is going on a stretch limo it might not be so wisely spent.

You say the role is mostly ceremonial, but there would undoubtedly be a question of what ceremonies are attended and why, and what is the benefit of the ceremony itself?

For example, as a nation, our ceremonial leaders don't really play any part in our lives - so is the cost of a mayor swearing in new citizens simply a pointless bit of fakery?

[macrobana]

Don't ask awkward questions.

You will cohere.

[Community Cohesion]

But are we talking 'cohere' in the sense of 'forming a whole' or being 'logically consistent'? Both, I would hope.

Meanwhile, this is how the figure of ?230,000 for this year breaks down in approximate figures (bearing in mind that any cumulative savings will make up for any overspend elsewhere, while ensuring that the overall amount budgeted for is not exceeded. We also need to bear in mind that we will have to apply reductions of between 5 and 15% in line with savings across the council in the next financial and municipal years):

Staffing (2.7 posts), administration, and on costs: 78,500

Transport (incorporating security, driver, and vehicle provision): 67,000

International links (Southwark is twinned with towns in Germany and France): 3,000

Insignia: 2,500

Equipment hire: 1,200

Catering: 1,500

Publicity & marketing: 5,200

Mayor's allowance: 20,000

Petty cash: 2,000

Civic ceremonials: 35,000

Security in the context of transport costings refers to the secure transport of the mayoral chain of office and other insignia. These items are of very significant historical and financial value.

Civic ceremonials are core activities in the life of any borough with a civic mayor. They include such borough-wide events as Remembrance Sunday, Holocaust Memorial Day, Civic and Honorary Awards, The Mayor's Charity Ball, and Armed Forces Day.

The logistics around organising these events are quite complex and therefore costly. For example, we had what was probably the biggest ever Southwark civic and honorary awards ceremony last May when almost 50 people (with their friends and families) were honoured. This year's recipients included Sir Michael Caine, Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry VC (a Dulwich resident), the borough's four MPs, and a host of other residents who have also made very significant contributions to life in Southwark. Our Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony at the Imperial War Museum is another example and is one of the largest in London each year. Plans are at an advanced stage for the 2013 ceremony where the keynote speaker will be Baroness Julia Neuberger DBE (Senior Rabbi at the West London Synagogue). Others are the Southwark Peace Breakfast at which Terry Waite, the former Beirut hostage, was our most recent keynote speaker, and The F Word exhibition and conversation on November 8 about 'alternatives to revenge and responses to wrong-doing':

http://www.southwarkcarers.org.uk/news/the-f-word-exhibition-and-performance/

http://www.southwark.gov.uk/events/event/2203/

All of these civic events were either initiated and/or organised by the civic office, and they are but a few examples of the many wide-reaching events which the mayor's office in Southwark initiates or manages each year, as well as co-ordinating the Mayor or Deputy Mayor's attendance, by invitation, at events across the borough and beyond. The mayor plays an important civic ceremonial role by representing Southwark at London-wide events including The Lord Mayor's Parade on New Year's Day and the many other annual gatherings of civic heads from across the capital (including a large amount this year associated with the Diamond Jubilee as well as the Olympics and Paralympics).

As an indication of how many engagements the Mayor of Southwark fulfills each year, Councillor Lorraine Lauder MBE completed over 900 during her term of office from May 2011 to May 2012, and the current Mayor is on target to complete similar during this municipal year.

I am aware of three ribbon-cutting events in that time. The vast majority of engagements completed by the Mayor each year are at the instigation of people in the borough who invite the Mayor to attend and speak as First Citizen, and the rest are important civic events organised by the mayor's office and described in some detail above.

I hope this additional information helps to inform your responses to the online survey. Please also feel free to contribute your thoughts here. These will also be gathered and documented in the same way that we have for other online consultations of this kind - what I tend to think of as 'vox populi' or grassroots community engagement.

(Although with the increasing popularity of internet-based social interaction I may need to think of re-phrasing that as webbed community engagement)

These are some recent examples of the 'finished product' that went to all councillors ahead of council assembly debates, and I propose to write up views expressed for the civic review in a similar verbatim fashion:

http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/documents/s26012/120120%20Community%20Views%20for%20Council%20Assembly%2025%20January%202012.pdf

http://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/documents/s27702/Community%20views%20on%20the%20themed%20debate.pdf

[Community Cohesion]

"the borough's four MPs" should read "the borough's three MPs".

[computedshorty]

We knew that, how come you are so out of touch with your M. P. s

Councillors, MPs and MEPs

Southwark has 63 councillors, representing 21 wards. Ten of those councillors form the cabinet.

There are three MPs that represent the borough's parliamentary constituencies.

I think that you are also unaware that you could have edited your post, it would have saved you some embarrassment placing a correction.

[Huguenot]

Oh come on computed shorty, give the guy a break!