Upcoming elections and referendums

Petitions for a change to a different form of governance

The council can be petitioned to hold a referendum on whether our district should change to a different form of governance.

The Local Government Act 2000 requires Herefordshire Council to publish a notice which sets out the minimum number of signatures which would be needed to support a valid petition requiring the council to hold a referendum on whether the district should change to a different form of governance.

Mayoral petition notice 15 February 2024 - contains information about the minimum number of signatures to support a valid petition.

How to draw up a petition to seek a referendum for an elected mayor

The government has made regulations about the way that petitions for an elected mayor must be drawn up.

Each sheet of the petition must include:

• The name of the local authority to which it is addressed
• The constitutional change that the petition is seeking
• The following statement:

We the undersigned, being local government electors for the area of Herefordshire Council, to whom this petition is addressed, seek a referendum on whether the electors for that area should elect a mayor who, with a *[cabinet] *[council manager] will be in charge of our local services and lead Herefordshire Council.

Note:
The words in bold can be included or left out, as the petitioners require.
If these words are included, the petitioners should select one of the alternatives marked *

Everyone who signs the petition must state:

• Their first name, surname and address
• The date on which they signed the petition

A petition must either include or be accompanied by:

• The name and full address of the petition organiser to whom correspondence about the petition should be sent

Where several petitions are amalgamated before being submitted to the council:

• The organisers of each of the constituent petitions must decide who will be the organiser of the amalgamated petition. This person can either be chosen from among the organisers or be someone separate
• The organiser of the amalgamated petition must notify the council of his name and full address

This information has been taken from government information which you can view on the GOV.UK website at The Local Authorities (Referendums) (Petitions and Directions) (England) Regulations 2000.

For further information on a mayoral referendum, please visit The Electoral Commission website.

UK-wide, national and regional referendums

The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA) establishes a fixed legal framework for the conduct of any referendum held across the UK, or a referendum held in Scotland, Wales, England or Northern Ireland. It also applies to regional referendums within England. No referendums have yet been held under this legislation. However a recent Act of Parliament has enabled the holding of referendums on regional assemblies in England.

If you have any questions please contact us.