At 2am on New Year's Day, on a damp, apparently-deserted south London street, a hooded figure steps from the shadows towards me. As I debate between a conciliatory or belligerent greeting, a hand is thrust at me and a voice says: ‘Happy New Year Mr Mayor. I met you when you came to our school.'

Mayoral governance was intended to facilitate leadership and transparency. And in Lewisham, people know their mayor. This is important, because local decision-making is often seen as anonymous by the very people it is suppposed to serve. The mayoral model provides scope for an identifiable leader who can work across traditional boundaries. I pledged to be open and accessible, to lead by listening, and to achieve by building consensus. I also decided to oversee a partnership between the council, community, the private sector and other public services, to improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of the borough.