Newsreader Carol Barnes has joined the campaign to have a directly-elected city mayor.

Today she launched a video on behalf of the Yes for City Mayor group at Donatello restaurant in Brighton Square.

Ms Barnes, who lives in Brighton, said: "I'm a newsreader and this is exceedingly good news. Decisions will be made much quicker and with less bureaucracy and red tape."

She said it was far better to have 250,000 people with a say on who should run the city rather than a handful of people.

The video, which does not mention the rival No campaign, lasts six minutes.

Hundreds of copies are being delivered to community organisations.

The main message is that although the city is thriving, it could do much better with a dynamic and democratic local government system.

Business leaders such as David Radtke of the Tin Drum restaurants are interviewed along with other city residents.

The point is made that while many know the name of London mayor Ken Livingstone, few can name the present Brighton and Hove Council leader Ken Bodfish.

Meanwhile, campaigners for an elected mayor say they have new evidence of how complicated running the city would be by committee.

Brighton and Hove is the only city in the country which will revert to a committee system if voters reject the elected mayor idea next month.

The Yes for City Mayor campaign has released details of an internal discussion document which shows how a revised committee structure may work.

Lord Bassam of Brighton said: "They demonstrate what I have always suspected, that there will be duplication and probably deadlock with no one part of the whole organisation able to make a definitive decision. In one option, the working group called for a 'weak leader' model and wanted everything delegated to committees.

"The absence of any executive function to take the council and the city forward will take the authority back to a time when nobody could be identified as a politician responsible for anything.

"That does not make for a stronger or more democratic council. It simply makes for a weaker one, badly led and dominated by council officials."

The claims have been rejected by a rebel councillor who says the mayor would be a puppet of big business.

Rebel Labour councillor Steve Collier said the mayor would be bad for democracy.

He has told colleagues on Brighton and Hove City Council in an open letter: "People would not trust their worst enemies in this role. Large private companies are keen to support the idea because they would find it easier to negotiate contracts."