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26
Sept
New deputy mayor elected at latest extraordinary meeting in Ripon
Julie Ann Martin-Long was elected deputy mayor of Ripon at another extraordinary meeting of Ripon City Council tonight (September 26).
In a statement to the meeting after her election, Cllr Martin-Long pledged to help “restore calm and community cohesion” after recent turbulence that has seen a change of mayor and the resignation of the leader and deputy leader in the space of two weeks.
Only five of 12 councillors turned up for what was the third extraordinary meeting in the space of 11 days. They were Cllr Barbara Brodigan, Cllr Martin-Long, Cllr Tony Duncan, Cllr Chris Hardisty and Cllr Pauline McHardy,
They voted unanimously not only for Cllr Martin-Long to become Cllr Brodigan’s deputy, but also for the staffing committee to be dissolved and a new human resources committee to be established.
Cllr Martin-Long said Cllr Brodigan, the new mayor, “is offering a more clear and transparent future for this city”. She also described the split that underlines current tensions. She said:
I was once one of 11 elected independents under the banner Putting Ripon Before Party Politics.
Since 2022 one of those members has resigned due to a lack of due process and five others now stand as totally independent, not aligned to any group as they felt the alignment was not in the best interests of the public.
Cllr Julie Martin-Long (standing) accepts the deputy's role, watched by mayor Cllr Barbara Brodigan.
The meeting was less stormy than the two previous extraordinary meetings, but divisions remained.
A member of the public, who said she had been friends with Cllr Crozier since schooldays, said “something has gone terribly wrong”. She added: “You have broken someone who is a very strong person, but she will clear her name.”
Cllr Crozier resigned after a vote of no confidence as mayor. The council has not said why the no-confidence motion was submitted, which has led to claims by former leader Cllr Andrew Williams of a “witch hunt” against Cllr Crozier.
Former mayor John Richmond, a freeman of the city, told the meeting he still wanted to know why Cllr Crozier had apparently been “bundled out”.
Cllr Brodigan reiterated her previous statement that “our aim is to be the most open and accessible council that this city has ever seen”, adding:
Genuinely, there is some information which we cannot divulge for various reasons, e.g. confidentiality, under data protection and employment law. Where we can, we will answer questions and share information.
She added that within two weeks community groups and individuals would be welcomed into the town hall to ask questions to councillors.
Cllrs Bate, Hardisty, Duncan, McHardy, Hawke, Brodigan and Martin-Long were elected to the new human resouces committee.
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