A Group of Labour councillors has pledged its support for a directly-elected city mayor.

In a letter to The Argus, the 22 Brighton and Hove city councillors say: "We feel councils need to change to meet the new challenges towns and cities face.

"Local government has become too inward looking, obsessed by committees and bureaucracy, rather than the problems which people and communities face."

The group, which includes seven members of the council's Cabinet, says Brighton and Hove has made great progress with the award of city status and major projects such as the Dome complex renovation.

But they write: "To keep ahead of the game, we need to strengthen and broaden our political leadership, better involve our residents and ensure we are well-placed to press for Government resources.

"We need also to ensure we can be an effective and responsive partner to other major public service providers, such as the health service and the police."

The group think a directly-elected mayor, working with councillors, communities and residents, will be best placed to serve the city.

They say: "The No campaigners want to take us back to a time when councillors were bogged down in committees and red tape."

The group's stance goes against the Labour Party's local government committee in Brighton and Hove, which has reaffirmed its opposition to having a directly-elected mayor.

Councillor Francis Tonks said all four main parties in the city were now against the concept.

The 22 are: Betsy Brewer, Sue John, Don Turner, Frieda Warman-Brown, Jacky Harding, Roy Pennington, Gill Mitchell, Pat Hawkes, Tehmtan Framroze, Jeanne Lepper, Ian Duncan, Betty Walshe, John Ballance, Andy Durr, Brian Fitch, Jean Spray, Vince Meegan, Simon Battle, John Warmington, Alison Hermitage, Lynette Gwyn-Jones and John Newington.