Pro-mayor group vows to carry on.

THE defeated 'Yes to Birmingham Mayor' campaign will not go away despite a decisive 'no' vote in last week's crunch referendum.

Those opposed to the plans won with 57 per cent of the vote, seemingly ending the debate for a generation.

Activists who battled for more than a year to persuade the city to go for a mayor say they will now instead focus on raising voter turnout.

The group said they would aim, over the next five years, to get Birmingham's voter turnout up to nearer 60 per cent - and target younger people and those in deprived areas who tend not to vote in large numbers.

'Yes' campaign director Julia Higginbottom said: "We have no intention of stopping.

"You cannot let the people of Birmingham be ignored.

"Our campaign continues as before, to raise awareness, to get people interested and engaged in city politics so that they can make an informed decision."