Green councillor Lizzie Deane has been nominated for the post of deputy mayor – backed by colleagues from all parties at a meeting of Brighton and Hove City Council.
If she is re-elected at the local elections next year, she can expect to take over as the mayor of Brighton and Hove in just over a year’s time.
Her nomination at a town hall meeting today (Thursday 3 February) was unopposed and is due to be ratified at the annual council meeting in May when the civic year begins.
Councillor Deane would take over from Conservative councillor Mary Mears, a former leader of the council, who is due to succeed Labour councillor Alan Robins, who has served two terms as mayor.
Councillor Deane said: “I’m delighted to have been elected as the council’s next deputy mayor.
“I’d like to thank the Green group for nominating me and the other political groups for their support.
“I don’t for one moment underestimate the honour the role bestows and look forward to working with Councillor Mary Mears in representing the residents of Brighton and Hove.”
Councillor Deane was first elected at a by-election in St Peter’s and North Laine ward in July 2010.
She filled the seat vacated by a fellow Green, Keith Taylor, who stood down when he became a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).
In turn, he replaced Caroline Lucas who was elected to the House of Commons as Britain’s first Green MP at the 2010 general election.
Councillor Deane, 66, is a former local government press officer and social science graduate who moved to Brighton 15 years ago with her partner Henry.
She has served on several committees, most notably as chair of the council’s Licensing Committee, and speaks for her party on the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
As well as being a member of the Sussex Police and Crime Panel, she is a trustee of a local charity Gorham’s Gift.
It’s enough that we have a Green council. We certainly don’t need a Green mayor as well.
The Mayor has no Executive power.
B&H CC has a civic mayor whose only legal role is to chair meetings of the full council. They don’t have any powers over how the council is run or the budget.
The three parties on the council share the mayorality on a rota basis. The current mayor is Labour, the next from May is a Tory and when her year is up a Green will be mayor from May 2023 (assuming she’s still a councillor after the local elections)
Can the Green council get on track and start doing what we pay for.
Empty the bins and take the re-cycling away.