Senior Whitehall officials are keen to scrap directly-elected council mayors despite a fudged commitment within the devolution White Paper, The MJ understands. 

The White Paper suggested ministers planned to ‘discontinue' council mayors for fear of confusing the public after the introduction of mayoral strategic authorities.

Under the proposals, new unitary councils will not be able to introduce mayoral models or return to the cabinet model of local democracy. Instead, they will need to follow a leader and cabinet model.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has refused to answer questions about what this means for existing council mayors.

It is understood that ministers have yet to decide whether the ban on new council mayors should stretch to include existing ones.

One sector source said Whitehall officials were keen to extend the ban as council mayors were more common in local authorities that have faced problems and intervention.

The source claimed: ‘They would rather get rid of council mayors altogether.'

Currently there are 13 council mayors, with almost half concentrated in London.

Existing council mayors

Bedford Council

Newham LBC

Croydon LBC

Tower Hamlets LBC

Doncaster MBC

Mansfield DC

Leicester City Council

Middlesbrough BC

Hackney LBC

North Tyneside MBC

Lewisham LBC

Salford CC