A CAMPAIGN to get Dartford a directly elected council leader or mayor is set to be launched in the New Year.

Fringe party Dartford English Democrats will be starting a petition to try and force Dartford Council to hold a referendum asking residents to vote on whether they want an elected leader or mayor.

To do this a minimum of 3,510 signatures is required.

Under the existing constitution the council leader and mayor are appointed following a vote by councillors and not the electorate.

The chairman of the Dartford English Democrats, Mike Tibby, said: “We feel the present political system has been a complete failure.

“Dartford is a complete dump with no prospect of improvement in the near future.

“Here in Dartford we have 44 local councillors and the majority of them serve no useful purpose, but they cost us approximately half a million pounds a year.”

The former councillor added: “There has to be a better way of running our borough and that is why we are calling for a directly elected leader or mayor with a cabinet to run our council.”

Currently the English Democrats do not have any elected representatives in the council.

Dartford Council leader Councillor Jeremy Kite said: “In successive elections the English Democrats have failed and failed to make any headway in Dartford.

“They have been soundly rejected by the electorate.

“The history of the English Democrats in Dartford has been one of stunt after stunt.

“They just talk about the obvious, such as Dartford needs a better town centre - find me someone in my party or the council who doesn’t agree.

“This is not a solution, they are just restating the question all the time.”

The Conservative councillor added: “Having an elected mayor would simply put all power in the hands of one individual and that’s not healthy for Dartford.”

Councillor Matt Bryant, deputy leader of the Dartford Labour party, said: “It’s not something I’m particularly keen on or against, but this is about the English Democrats trying to get publicity for themselves.

“They have no councillors on the council and it’s about them trying to big themselves up.”