An all-party campaign has been launched against having a directly-elected city mayor.

The Campaign for Open Local Government is urging people to vote no in a referendum to be staged by Brighton and Hove City Council in October.

Among those taking part in the campaign are Labour councillors Francis Tonks and Jack Hazelgrove, Liberal Democrat leader Paul Elgood and Tory deputy leaders John Sheldon and Brian Oxley.

The council has to decide in the next few weeks what action to take if people vote against having a directly-elected mayor.

The choice is between the present system of a leader and Cabinet or an improved version of the old committee system.

The campaign urges support for a committee system, which it says will ensure open debate rather than decisions being taken behind closed doors.

Coun Tonks said directly-elected mayors could lead to patronage and criminal activity. He said: "We don't want a system to be modelled on the United States where 50 ex-mayors are in jail for corruption.

"They could also limit the influence of most people on the democratic process and replace them with power-seeking career politicians"

It would also not be possible to remove incompetent mayors by a vote of no confidence, he said.

Coun Tonks added: "The campaign for a city boss mayor is not widely popular as recent consultation showed.

"Most Brighton and Hove people respect the long tradition of the civic mayor who represents the city non-politically."

The city council is maintaining a neutral position in the run-up to the referendum. No group has so far been formed in favour of having a directly-elected mayor.