This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities...
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
    • Politics
    • Transport
    • Lifestyle
    • Community
    • Business
    • Crime
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Education
    • Sport
    • Harrogate
    • Ripon
    • Knaresborough
    • Boroughbridge
    • Pateley Bridge
    • Masham
  • What's On
  • Offers
  • Newsletter
  • Podcasts

Interested in advertising with us?

Advertise with us

  • News & Features
  • Your Area
  • What's On
  • Offers
  • Newsletter
  • Podcasts
  • Politics
  • Transport
  • Lifestyle
  • Community
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Education
  • Sport
Advertise with us
Subscribe
  • Home
  • Latest News

We want to hear from you

Tell us your opinions and views on what we cover

Contact us
Connect with us
  • About us
  • Advertise your job
  • Correction and complaints
Download on App StoreDownload on Google Play Store
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Statement
  • Comments Participation T&Cs
Trust In Journalism

Copyright © 2020 The Stray Ferret Ltd, All Rights Reserved

Site by Show + Tell

14

Jun 2024

Last Updated: 19/06/2024
Politics
Politics

York councillor confirmed as North Yorkshire deputy mayor

by Stuart Minting Local Democracy Reporter

| 14 Jun, 2024
Comment

0

jocoles1
Jo Coles.

A York councillor has been confirmed as the new deputy mayor for policing in North Yorkshire.

Cllr Jo Coles, who had been nominated for the £68,750 salary role by York and North Yorkshire mayor David Skaith, faced questions from the North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel for more than an hour before members enthusiastically endorsed her.

While Mr Skaith will have responsibility for setting the budgets and masterplans for the police and fire services, Ms Cole will take on most of the other responsibilities of a police, fire and crime commissioner.

Romanby councillor Peter Wilkinson, who said Ms Coles was “a very strong candidate for the role”, underlined to her how the panel had seen challenging relationships with her predecessors.

Former policeman and Huby and Tollerton division councillor Malcolm Taylor asked Ms Coles to give assurances that she recognised the clear requirement for separation of political and operational responsibilities of the police and fire and rescue services.

In response, she said she was committed to serving the communities of York and North Yorkshire, that she had been honoured to be elected to represent Westfield ward last year, that she was “very driven by evidence” and would endeavour “to stay in touch with the public”.

When Cllr Taylor pressed her again, she said she would ask questions of the chief constable and chief fire officer on behalf of the public “to ensure we are properly approved of all the facts”.

Highlighting that both the mayor and Ms Coles were “York-based”, Cllr Wilkinson asked her how she would serve the best interests of residents in the city as well as rural North Yorkshire.

She said:

I did anticipate this question. As I said in my statement I was born in North Yorkshire, I grew up in York. I obviously spent time in other places that were not in York and North Yorkshire, horrifically. I live here now, but this whole region is my home.

But I think for all of us, we none of us can represent everywhere, that’s why it’s important to listen and to engage with people from across the region to be open to different points of view, to be open to different stakeholders who might not be stakeholders who I would habitually deal with.

When panel member Fraser Forsyth asked Ms Coles to explain any differences in direction she had with the mayor, she turned to Mr Skaith and replied: 

What are we going to do when we don’t agree? I actually don’t know.

The importance of an electoral mandate that David has is that it is his electoral mandate and ultimately I am here because of his electoral mandate and because of the policies on which he stood for election.

In that respect if David and I have a difference of opinion I will argue my case, I will argue my corner and use the evidence and data that is given to me to try and persuade him, but ultimately David is the mayor.

Ahead of the panel voting to approve Ms Coles in the role, fellow York Labour councillor Michael Pavlovic said her performance in responding to questions had been “very impressive”, addressing any concerns the panel may have had.

StarAs it happened: Labour's David Skaith wins North Yorkshire mayoral electionStarNorth Yorkshire deputy mayor to be paid £68,670