A TOP councillor has warned that Kirklees could “sleepwalk into a benign dictatorship”.

Clr Martyn Bolt is angry at Government changes which he says could affect the way Kirklees Council is run.

The deputy leader of Kirklees Conservatives said: “We are being asked to choose between an elected mayor or a powerful leader who can hire and fire everyone. We don’t want to sleepwalk into a benign dictatorship.”

The Mirfield Conservative believes a single leader can be dangerous.

He said: “You can end up with a Yes Minister situation where the leader is reliant on officers or special advisers.”

Clr Bolt claims the Government is using its powers under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007 to impose its will on Kirklees.

The Act makes apparently small changes to the wording of the Local Government Act 2000 in relation to elected mayors.

Only 13 authorities have chosen to take the course of directly elected mayors – sometimes with a large public backlash over perceived excessive powers.

Clr Bolt said: “The Government has a Big Brother mentality that we must do as they say.”

He claimed the Government wanted Kirklees to choose between an elected mayor or a powerful leader before asking for residents’ views.

He said: “The council will decide on its preferred option in June and then consult the public. It’s preposterous. How can we consult when we’ve already expressed a preference?”

Council leader Clr Mehboob Khan said Clr Bolt was being hypocritical, since Conservative policy nationally is to support elected mayors.

The Labour man said: “Clr Bolt is deeply hypocritical when he condemns the Government. He should take a long hard look at his own party’s brainless polices that will undermine local democracy.

“The Conservative local government policy paper Control Shift published in February contains proposals to impose directly elected police commissioners and create elected city mayors.

“I am vehemently opposed to elected mayors. This idea has been firmly rejected by Kirklees voters. An elected mayor is bad for democracy and there is no evidence that councils run by elected mayors are better or cost less.”

Clr Khan added that the consultation process on the changes had been decided last year, when the Conservatives ran Kirklees.

The council will make a final decision on the plan in December.