Congratulations to Monica Lovatt the new Mayor of Abingdon-on-Thames. It was a tight contest. Ten councillors voted for Monica, and ten voted for the other candidate, Sam Bowring. But the outgoing Mayor used his casting vote for Monica.
Congratulations also to Andrew Todd, the new Deputy Mayor.
Angela Lawrence who had been nominated as a candidate for Deputy Mayor, and who then left her party to become an independent, said she would bow out of the contest in favour of Sam Bowring who was next in line.
The vote was then ten for Andrew Todd, and ten for Sam Bowring. The new Mayor used her casting vote for Andrew.
We all got to shake hands with the new Mayor and Deputy. The occasion was not as exciting as last year, where the room was packed, and where a couple of people shouted “Shame!”.
But one lady I canvassed afterwards said that it was wonderful, seeing democracy at work, not just the boring old way where everything was settled beforehand.
Outgoing Mayor Mike Badcock was the last Mayor of Abingdon, and the first ever Mayor of Abingdon-on-Thames. He also inaugurated the World Bun Throwing Championships.
Backstreeter is too shy to report that one of the awards made by the outgoing Mayor was to him in recognition of the contribution this blog makes to the town. I am sure all his regular readers will want to join in congratulating him.
We had the Abingdon Band playing before and at times during the ceremonies – as always they were a delight to listen to, but I was intrigued by some of the tunes chosen – I am not sure, but it sounded like the Monty Python theme as I went in to the hall – and it was most definitely “Hallelujah” while the outgoing mayor was handing over to his replacement.
Yes, well done backstreeter! What a fantastic job you do here for the people of Abingdon and afar. Well deserved. Oh, and of course, congratulations to Monica and Andrew you have an eventful year ahead of you.
Well done Alistair – a awell deserved award – Hester beat me to reporting your modesty – call of a pint in the punch bowl was too strong 🙂
And congratulations too to Monica and Andy who will both do a great job for the town
Well done on your award.
Shame that the Conservatives have again decided to politicise the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor that used to be about representing the whole town in civic matters.
Congratulations, Alistair. This site is a treasure and we owe it to your enthusiasm and willingness to discover all sorts of treats we would otherwise miss.
As far as the mayoral elections go, it evident that there was no clear majority in either case. For the casting vote to used against someone who had secured a 50% support in both instances seems (shall we say) odd…
Paul
Congratulations Alistair, sorry I wasn’t there – another engagement with the Twinning (Europe Day). You deserve all the accolade you get. The photographs and stories you write are better that any we read about in our papers, and more accurate. See you and Harry round and about.
Sorry! forgot to wish the new Mayor a wonderful year in office.
Well done Alistair on your award. As someone that manages a number of websites for clients I know how much research work you put in to bring such interesting stories and events to light, coupled with good pictures.
I found out more about Abingdon from your blog than I ever will with the VOWH!
Hi Paul – I’m not sure I understand your point, both candidates received 50% of vote so casting vote has to be for one or other of them.
This blog is one of the places I visit daily to find out what’s going on. Well done on a wonderful achievement.
The Abingdon Blog is set as my Home Page! Like others, I find out more about Abingon from it than any other way
John
Amazing Alastair;many thanks; ( even Harry gets into the labyrinth at St. M’s- see Harry the Dog Blog!)
However did the Mayor of our (parish) Town Council become a matter of High Politics??
Well done Allistair, it is good to have a blog for a town which is going through some big developments.
I think that the current situation has created a democratic approach to town politics and the whole council is doing a great but very tough job.
I know my mother will fulfill her duties above and beyond what anyone will expect and I am a very proud son indeed.
First of all I’d like to add my congratulations – this blog is first on the list when I look at my newsfeeds each morning.
Second I have no clue concerning the politics and factions that mill about the town council – nor do I know anything about Sam Bowring – but I do wonder what she/he did to be casted out from both the top and second tier jobs.
Can anyone enlighten me as to whether it was a party based stitch-up, personal conflict with either or both of the casters or just bad luck? Will it be the Bowring version next time around, perhaps?
Hi, thanks for the great website and congratulations on your award – it means I can keep in touch with Abingdon from afar.
The political situation is that the Conservatives only have a majority on the council by virtue of the Mayor’s casting vote. They do have the most councillors and it is only rational for them to ensure that their candidate becomes Mayor. I’m sure the opposition would do the same in their position – I don’t think any of them voted for Monica!
Traditionally the Mayor is chosen for their long-service and Monica first became a Councillor in 1991 and has worked very hard for the last 21 years for local charities and as a councillor and I have no doubt that she will be a fantastic Mayor.
For the record, she’s my mum too and I’m very proud of her and all her hard work and achivements. She is a great role model.
Congratulations Backstreeter. As time goes on this blog becomes an incredible social history document, not to mention providing lots of Abingdonians with reasons to be proud of their town – and to get involved more.
Should that be Abingdon-on-Thamesonians? My attempt at irony!
Iain,
I have been around long enough to understand how casting votes work…!
My question was why when one candidate ties in both ballots, the casting vote is used against that candidate on both occasions.
Within local government, I wish we could revert to a less confrontational form of operating. However, as others have noted; all parties need to be more generous.
Paul
@Piers – it is political, not personal.
Traditionally the Mayor has been the councillor who is the ‘senior’ who has not previously been Mayor, regardless of party. This is on the basis that the main role of the Mayor is to represent the whole Town Council at civic events, to local voluntary groups ans societies, at other councils’ functions etc. The Mayor also chairs full council meetings.
Last year, having won 11 out of 21 seats in the elections, the Conservatives proposed and voted in Mike Badcock as Mayor, on the grounds that they had been given an electoral mandate and needed a Chair that would help drive their policies through. Mike Badcock had previously been Mayor.
This year, because Councillor Peter Jones is currently not performing his duties due to a serious stroke, there are 10 Conservatives and 10 others, and the current Mayor Mike Badcock used his casting vote to elect another Conservative, Monica Lovatt, on the grounds that they want a Chair who will use their casting vote to push through their policies.
I certainly agree that Monica Lovatt has worked hard for Abingdon for many years, and I’m sure she will perform her duties well and with a lot more grace than Mike Badcock has. However the arguments against her being Mayor are nothing to do with that.
@Liz – in previous years, even when the numbers were tight, councillors of all parties still supported the person whose turn it was regardless of their party.
@Paul – I agree – and that was one of the benefits of the Mayor being chosen on the basis of seniority not party. It meant the Mayor was above party politics.
Paul – thought it was fairly clear why casting vote was exercised towards tge Tory candidates – Kat summarises reasonably thoroughly.
The opposition parties would like tge conservatives to elect a mayor from tgeir ranks which would effectively give away control of the council.
Our party believe we have a duty to the electorate who voted for a conservative administration to do our best to deliver one for them.
I don’t think this is very mysterious – both views are perfectly rational. We just take different views on whether to prioritise tradition (which isnt actually that old) or the democratic wish expressed by the electorate.
Iain,
The electorate for the appointment of the Mayor is not same as the electorate for the selection of Town Councillors. No mandate was given in Council elections last year regarding the post of Mayor. There was no democratic wish expressed about that matter and there was no hustings indicating that the matter was an issue.
It would have been perfectly rational – and a good deal more generous – to have used a casting vote for the Mayor one way (Party X) and for the Deputy Mayor the other way (Party Y).
I suspect that in local elections people vote far less along party lines than they do in general elections. I have frequently voted for one party in Parliament and another in local elections because of the record of the local councillor.
That, too, is rational.
I wish those who serve us in local politics well; it is a thankless task. However, a little less partisanship might make the wheels move more smoothly.
Paul
Hi Paul – thanks for setting out the view clearly. I do understand your perspective, and agree it is rational, I just don’t agree with it.
The mayor has two functions which are indivisible – our civic representative (which is apolitical and I agree with all your comments in that regard) and that of chairman of the council, which given current political balance is critical to control of council.
All councillors elected at the last election stood under a party banner, and in conscience I believe a good chunk of my vote is for a conservative rather than for me, and as such I feel a duty to deliver a conservative administration for those people who voted for me.
I appreciate not every one will agree with this but I hope you can see why I feel I am acting in accordance with what I believe is the right thing to do.
Amazing politicking on one vote! However did Ewart Hemmings (Labour) and Ted Staniland (Ditto). Ever become Mayor, as they deserved?
(I guess we’d all better drop it now; the point having been made-thanks to the blog especially!)
John – I’m pretty sure Ewart was Mayor. I think he was one of the ex-Mayors of all parties that signed a letter last year calling on Town Councillors to stick with tradition.
Iain – I believe the tradition predates party politics on the Town Council. The point about the Conservative group needing to maintain control of meetings might be a strong one if there was any evidence that the opposition councillors whose turn it was had any intention of misusing their chairing. However I think I am right in recalling that the Lib Dem leader made it clear that they would not do this? It is quite commong for these sorts of agreements to be put in place in situations like this and would be a much more constructive way of dealing with things.
Er – this may be a silly question, but maybe somebody can enlighten me.
How can Cllr Badcock have been the 1st ever Mayor of Abingdon-on-Thames?
I understand this was a return to the traditional name for the town. Didn’t Abingdon have mayors last time it was known as Abingdon-on-Thames?
Confused!
No – the Town has always just been ‘Abingdon’.
When there was a Borough Council as part of Berkshire the Borough was called ‘Abingdon-on-Thames’, which is why there are still a few street signs around with that on them.
Lots of orfganisations have also called the town ‘Abingdon-on-Thames’ over the years.
This is a long list of comments, and I know I’m coming late to the game here, but I thought I’d throw in my comments for good measure 🙂
I agree with Paul – a little less partisanship on the Town Council would be welcome (by me at least). The Conservative group say that they want the Chairmanship of the council to ensure that their agenda is pushed through. Is this really necessary? Surely by doing so they are excluding half the council from making their contribution.
I think they would find, if they listened, that the non-Conservative Councillors have some good ideas to put forward, and that by engaging with them instead of ignoring them would actually help them achieve their own goals.
I’d also like to point out, by supporting Samantha Bowring’s nomination, I was putting aside party politics. There is no benefit, political or otherwise, for me doing so. We can achieve more if we work together rather than against each other!
That’s all I have to say on the matter, I’m now going to bed!!! 🙂
PS: One last thing – Alastair does a fantastic job with this blog! It’s amazing how much stuff you can find out from it. He deserves his award for all the effort he puts into it. It’s a real encouragement to those of us who live in Abingdon.
And so to bed!
Belated congratulations! Richly deserved
So glad there’s been an award given in regonition for such an awesome job made on this blog – with all the many hours spent researching and producing such great photos and information 🙂
I Love reading your posts Backstreeter – a Huge THANK YOU (all the way from NZ!)
Surely the Chairmanship is needed to push through an agenda. What a ridiculous comment.
I don’t think at any council meeting I have attended, that the ‘opposition’ have ever put forward any good ideas. Perhaps that’s why the “ruling group” doesn’t listen to them?
Also it’s always difficult to listen to irrational Socialists and verbal-Nihilists anyway… The speeches from the opposition at the Mayor Making were pointless. Especially from Abingdon’s ever increasing experimental, pontificating and arrogant councillors.
When we have so many different councils operating ‘within the boundary of ‘Abingdon’. {VOWH DC – includes Oxfordshire County Council}
Some of the houses on the estate I live are under control of Oxford City (through their joint venture with the GLC way back in 1976!!).
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Does the Town Council have ‘power’ in their own right (as a council) or do they rely on their Political ‘clout’ to push policies through. I would have thought it shouldn’t matter which party has majority, its for the good of the Town of Abingdon…..(does that include all of Abingdon ‘borough?? North/South etc?)
@Ugly Betty – Surely a Chair of a meeting is there to ensure the meeting is run properly and fairly, that all sides get to have their say and that a decision is then taken. When the Chair of a meeting is pursuing a particular agenda it usually makes for a worse meeting.
Nice to hear you admit that the ruling group doesn’t listen though.
@Col – the Town Council has some ‘power’ in their own right, but it is limited. Most of what they can do is influence others. You are quite right that many of the things they should be doing are not party political at all.
Looking back at last year a lot of the comments were saying ‘well we we see if we get free parking’ and hey presto it has happened. Do you really think the car hating lib dems would have been for this (they were not for the previous 16 years)? After all the brought us the worst traffic system ever in our town centre.
Also on the Saturday just passed many business owners in Abingdon were tweeting their best days business some of which had opened over 2years.
The fact is whilst other Oxfordshire towns have thrived abingdon drifted backwards and now we look like we can catch up with Witney and I am ashamed to say Didcot.
Nobody cares how the mayor is chosen appart from the councillors all people really care about is the state of the town and one could easily argue that this “politicking” is for the benefit of the town.
“Kat P” I think you may have misread what I wrote. My point was on the ruling party not listening to the opposition and with good reason so far.
Also, talking of the last 16 years of LibDem government, look at all the other things they didn’t listen to people on… Housing policy? Well that’s going to be a laugh?!
Whoever Jimbo is, he should be rewarded, for speaking sense!
@Jimbo – the changes to the traffic system in the town centre were implemented by the Conservative run County Council.
@Ugly Betty – your meaning was perfectly clear. You think it is OK for the ruling Conservative group to not listen to anything opposition councillors say. Except presumably pn the various projects that the previous administration started and the new ruling party are now talking up?
Kat P that is bull and you know it, it was funded by the county but was effectively designed at a town level. I am sure if it were any good the Lib Dems would be all over it.
@Jimbo – So you’re saying that Conservative County Councillors agreed to fund and implement a traffic system that they disagreed with on the say so of Lib Dem Town Councillors? That doesn’t sound very likely to me.
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