THE line-up for this evening's debate on the question of an elected mayor for Darlington has been announced.

Representatives from the the 'Yes' and 'No' campaigns will be represented on the debate, which has been organised by The Northern Echo.

Also taking part, alongside Middlesbrough's elected mayor, Ray Mallon, will be an expert on local government.

The debate, which is taking place at Darlington Arts Centre, at 7.30pm, will be chaired by The Northern Echo's Editor, Peter Barron.

The paper's political editor, Chris Lloyd, said: "This is potentially a really historic change, in which there is no minimum turnout - so every vote will count.

"But, because we're not voting on policies or party politics but on a change to the municipal machinery, it's quite a difficult issue for most people to grasp.

"Therefore, we're holding this debate in the hope that we can shed some light on this vital issue both for our readers, and indeed, for ourselves."

Speaking on behalf of the 'Yes' campaign will be Stuart Hill, a Labour party member with a background in the trade union movement.

Mr Hill works as an equal pay campaigner for Action for Equality and has successfully sued local authorities on behalf of low-paid women workers.

The 'No' campaign's representative is Alan Charlton.

Mr Charlton is independent of any political party and works within the voluntary sector in Darlington.

He is the chairman of the Friends of Darlington Memorial Hospital and, in 2004, he was voted Citizen of the Year by readers of The Northern Echo. The following year, he was awarded the MBE.

Speaking on the panel will be Ray Mallon, the mayor of Middlesbrough,

Mr Mallon, a former Detective Superintendent, has attracted fame for his zero-tolerance policing.

He first stood for elected mayor in 2002 and was re-elected in 2007.

Dr Michael Macaulay, the head of the Centre for Public Service Management at Teesside University will complete the panel.

Tickets for the debate are available and seats can be reserved by calling Carol Bellinger on 01325-505283. People can also turn up on the night.