A think tank says Medway should have an elected mayor but how much enthusiasm would there be for having our very own Boris or Ken?

The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) says elected mayors should be introduced in every major town and city in England.

They say it would give stronger political leadership, clearer accountability and encourage the decentralisation of powers.

But among Medway's existing decision makers there appears scant support with only Labour leader Cllr Paul Godwin thinking it might be worth a look.

He said:“Mayors have had a degree of success but I believe that you still need to have public support for the posts to be created in major towns and cities.”

There are currently 13 elected mayors in this country, including the most high-profile in London, where Ken Livingstone is standing for re-election today.

Medway Council leader, Cllr Rodney Chambers (Con),who chairs a decision-making cabinet, is against any changes in the way the Towns are run. The problem with elected mayors, he says, lead to the politics of personality.

“Politics is too complex to leave solely for one individual. Only proper, accountable teams can drive real change,”he claims.

Cllr Geoff Juby (Lib Dem) added: “Good local leadership is not about big boss government, with one person dictating what the council should do.

"We have democratically elected councillors to represent residents. We don’t need a directly elected mayor as well.

“There would not be enough checks on a directly-elected mayor to stop them from pushing through changes that the majority of residents don’t want.”

Would you support an all powerful Medway Mayor? If yes, who would you like to see in charge? Join the debate. Add your comments to the SpeakOut prompt below or email medwaymessenger@thekmgroup.co.uk