Electors in Brighton and Hove had the chance to bring in a new and vibrant form of democracy last year by voting for a directly-elected mayor.

But in a referendum they decisively rejected the idea and voted instead for an improved version of the old committee system.

Since then, leaders of the four main political parties in the city have been getting together to see how this can be done.

Their ideas, now out for consultation, are probably the best that could be achieved. There are only five main committees and functions have been sensibly divided between them.

If there's not much opposition to them and the Government gives approval, the new system will come into existence in May with a trial run possible as early as next month.

Then it will be down to councillors to make it work properly. At its worst, it could become what we and many other people feared.

That is a place where councillors waffle and argue without making sensible decisions in the best interests of the city.

But if councillors act in a spirit of co-operation suggested by their leader, Ken Bodfish, it could be made to work.

Of course they are not going to agree on everything. No one expects them to do that. But 90 per cent of local government should be governed by plain common sense rather than party politics.

If councillors forget the posturing and think of the city first, the new system should work well. But we remain to be convinced.