The government’s failure to hold a referendum on the creation of a directly elected mayor for Greater Manchester may undermine the legitimacy of this important new office

George Osborne recently announced that Greater Manchester was to get a new ‘metro Mayor’ with enhanced powers, despite the decision of Manchester’s voters to reject a City Mayor in a recent referendum. Here, John Fenwick argues that there is political rationale for avoiding a plebiscite, and that the eventual office holder may be marred by a perceived lack of legitimacy, whatever the election result.