Campaigners against a directly-elected mayor have published a newspaper.

Allies for Democracy, which is campaigning for a No vote in October's postal referendum, has published 120,000 copies of the paper, explaining why it believes the idea is bad for Brighton and Hove.

Green councillor Keith Taylor said: "This is the result of an unprecedented co-operation between representatives of all political parties of the council, plus political, business and community groups.

"The future for Brighton and Hove can either be very good, or very bad. If we vote Yes in the referendum we'll see another expensive layer of bureaucracy and an increase in control freakery.

"A No vote will mean goodbye to the existing cabinet system, which even our opponents acknowledge isn't working and replacing it with an improved committee system, adapted for today's needs. The newspaper clearly sets out our arguments."

In an endorsement of the aims of the No campaign, journalist, author and activist George Monbiot said: "Creating a new layer of government in the form of executive mayors is just one more means by which power is removed from the people.

"It is another example of the photocopy democracy which allows New Labour to ignore the concerns of the electorate and attend to the concerns of the corporations."

The trades union Unison said in the paper it was worried an elected mayor would lead to more privatisation of services. This point was also made by the Socialist Alliance.

BASH!, the group which lobbied against city status, does not like the idea, along with the Campaign for a Better Brighton and Hove.

Tory councillor Garry Peltzer Dunn said: "An elected mayor will be the end of accountable politics."

Liberal Democrat leader Paul Elgood said it would put too much power into the hands of one person.

Labour councillor Francis Tonks said there would be dangers of corruption.