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22
Sept
Ripon elects new mayor after explosive meeting
Councillor Barbara Brodigan was elected mayor of Ripon tonight after an explosive extraordinary meeting of the city council.
The meeting was marred by frequent angry exchanges, with one member of the public shouting out that it was a “s*** show”.
There were also legal threats and a walkout involving former leader, Cllr Andrew Williams and his former deputy Cllr Peter Horton.
John Richmond, 89, Ripon's oldest surviving mayor and a freeman of the city, also left before the end of the meeting after expressing dismay at developments and saying he still didn’t know why former mayor Cllr Jackie Crozier had resigned.
Cllr Crozier, who did not attend tonight’s meeting, stood down as mayor after facing a vote of no confidence from fellow councillors.
Cllr Chris Hardisty, seconded by Cllr Tony Duncan, proposed Cllr Brodigan, who was elected in 2022, as the new mayor.
Former mayor John Richmond talking at the meeting.
But Cllr Williams claimed the council had not received a written statement of official resignation from Cllr Crozier and therefore it would be against the Local Government Act to proceed.
He proposed an amendment adjourning the agenda item until the next city council meeting in 14 days, saying “to do anything else would be to act against the law” and risk a legal challenge.
But his amendment was voted down, with Cllr Brodigan saying the council had received advice on the matter from NALG, the National Association of Local Government.
Councillors then voted 6-2 in favour of electing Cllr Brodigan, a Liberal Democrat who represents Spa ward on the city council and Ripon Ure Bank and Spa on North Yorkshire Council, as mayor.
A member of the public makes a point at the meeting.
'When Reform come in you lot will be out'
But the acrimony didn’t end there, with sharp exchanges between Cllr Williams and Cllr Pauline McHardy, who chaired the meeting in the absence of Cllr Crozier, who remains a councillor.
Clr Williams said it was “the first time in 26 years I won’t be able to support the proposal of mayor”. He claimed there had been a witch hunt against Cllr Crozier before walking out prior to the end of the meeting.
As tempers continued to flare, Cllr Brodigan told one member of the public she could continue talking outside. The woman replied as she left: “Don’t you worry about that, sweetheart, because when Reform come in next year you lot will be out.”
The next city council elections are due in 2027.
The Stray Ferret will publish further reaction and an interview with new mayor Cllr Brodigan tomorrow.
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