A MAYORAL candidate has vowed to abolish his own post if he gets elected.

Heating engineer John Hamilton is running for Mayor of Lewisham at this year’s council elections.

The 54-year-old also ran for the post in 2006 and followed it up one year later with a campaign called Bring Back Democracy to abolish the elected mayoral system completely.

But despite the plan getting cross-party support, a motion was eventually defeated at a meeting of Lewisham Council.

The Telegraph Hill resident said: “After the last election I decided to make it a central plank of my policy.

“I have support from a large range of people.

“We’d need to wait until 2011, then the council can pass a motion calling for a referendum on whether to continue with this system.”

Steve Bullock became mayor after a referendum in 2001 backed switching to an elected mayor system from the traditional cabinet and leader set-up.

The council is one of only 11 local authorities in the country to have an elected mayor. In 2008, residents in Stoke voted to get rid of theirs.

Under law, a referendum needs to be held to have a change of system, which can only be triggered by a vote in council.

Mr Hamilton explained: “This system just concentrates too much power in the hands of one person. The mayor is not bound by decisions made in council.

“I wouldn’t be so arrogant as to think I know best in all these things.”

Mr Hamilton, who was also part of the Save Ladywell Pool campaign, is now running as part of the People Before Profit party, based at The Tea Factory, Endwell Road, Brockley.

The party is supported by socialist councillors Cllr Ian Page and Cllr Chris Flood and campaign groups including Hands Off Lewisham Bridge School.

It’s other main policies include opposing privatisation of council services and a return to council house building.

For more information call 020 8691 9649 or visit lewishampeopleb4profit.org.uk

Find out how to register to vote at lewisham.gov.uk/elections