Opponents of a directly-elected city mayor are having a real go at former council leader Lord Bassam, who is now a Government whip.

Their newspaper is full of attacks on the peer, ranging from a front-page story to a back-page cartoon.

But the debate should not be about the personality of Lord Bassam, good or bad, even though he has been prominent in the Yes campaign.

The issue is about whether there should be a directly-elected mayor at all, not who it should be.

After all, if the No campaigners get their way and the city votes for a revival of the tired old committee system, there won't be a directly-elected mayor at all.

The time for a debate on personalities will be if the Yes campaign succeeds and there is an election for mayor next May.

Lord Bassam could well be a contender but if he decided to stand, he would face others within the Labour Party.

If he won that battle, he would still have to gain the approval of the electorate.

And even if that happened, he would not be mayor for ever. Politicians come and go but the office of mayor would continue.

It's easy to have a go at Lord Bassam as the squatter who became the best-known councillor in Brighton before being elevated to the Lords.

But he is not the issue. The system of running the city is. The campaign against him is entirely negative and debases any genuine arguments of the No campaign.