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The Mayor for Cornwall was a proposed directly-elected mayor that would have been responsible for the executive function held by Cornwall Council. The concept was proposed in 2022 as part of the new devolution deal being negotiated by Cornwall Council; the plan was dropped in April 2023 after public opposition, with the council seeking further devolved powers without having a mayor.

https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-news/council-budgets-and-economy/consultation-on-cornwall-s-big-deal-produces-wide-variety-of-results/ https://www.cornish-times.co.uk/news/members-of-cornwall-council-have-reacted-to-linda-taylors-mayor-u-turn-605479 https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/mayor-cornwall-bid-dropped-cornwall-8320681 https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/council-leader-press-government-good-8322006 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-65173108 https://www.lgcplus.com/politics/devolution-and-economic-growth/exclusive-cornwall-on-brink-of-agreeing-mayoral-model-but-public-may-get-final-say-19-10-2022/ https://cornishstuff.com/2022/03/11/mayor-of-cornwall-negotiations-progress/ https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/council-news/council-budgets-and-economy/statement-from-cllr-linda-taylor-leader-of-cornwall-council/ https://www.holsworthy-today.co.uk/news/devolution-is-it-a-good-deal-587861 https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cornwall-devolution-elected-mayor-levelling-up-b2314052.html https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/mayor-cornwall-devolution-deal-issues-7858526 https://businesscornwall.co.uk/news-by-industry/public-sector-news-categories/2022/12/devolution-deal-the-pitfalls/ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-63664962 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cornwall-61042202

Timeline
It was reported in February 2022 that Cornwall was one of nine areas to be invited to

In August 2022, Taylor said there were no plans for a referendum on the mayor given that it was estimated that it would have cost around £1.4m to hold.

In September 2022, Taylor and Cornwall's six MPs announced they would seek a meeting with Liz Truss, the new Prime Minister, and attempt to secure the devolution deal but without the mayor.

In November 2022, Tim Dwelly, councillor for Penzance East, put forward a motion to force a referendum on whether the council should shift to the mayoral structure. The Conservative administration instead supported a motion which deferred the decision on a referendum until after a report on a public consultation had been written; the motion passed 43-34.

It was reported in late March that the council's administration would support a statutory referendum on the deal, but on 4 April Taylor released a statement announcing that the council would no longer be supporting a deal that required an elected mayor.

Support for referendum
A petition supporting a referendum on the mayor gained over 5,000 signatures by December 2022.