The Conservatives are nominating a long-serving councillor to become the next mayor of Brighton and Hove.
The party plans to nominate Councillor Dawn Barnett to don the mayoral robes and chains at Brighton and Hove City Council’s “annual council” meeting and mayor-making next month.
If elected, Councillor Barnett, 80, will become the “first citizen” of Brighton and Hove, receiving visitors to the city and acting as the formal representative of Brighton and Hove at official functions.
She will also be expected to chair meetings of the full council, with the sometimes challenging task of keeping the other 53 councillors in order during debates.
The former Conservative council leader Mary Mears had been expected to take over from the current mayor, Councillor Alan Robins, in just over six weeks’ time.
But after two years as deputy mayor, Councillor Mears, 74, who served as leader of the council from the 2008 to 2011, is unable to take on the role for health reasons.
The Conservatives said: “Councillor Barnett will be formally proposed at the annual council meeting on Thursday 26 May.”
She was the unanimous choice of the Conservative group of councillors and was picked 18 years after winning her seat on the council at a by-election in Hangleton and Knoll.
Her family moved from Lewes to Brighton when she was seven years old and she went to school in Coldean. She has lived in the city ever since.
In that time, she has lived in Moulsecoomb, Hollingbury, Old Shoreham Road, Portland Road and now Hangleton.
Before she became a councillor, she owned a greengrocers shop in Northease Drive and worked as a carer in Hove and Portslade for nearly 40 years.
Conservative leader Steve Bell said that Councillor Barnett would make a fine mayor for 2022-23, adding: “Councillor Dawn Barnett is our group’s most popular councillor and well known throughout the city.
“You can walk with Dawn up and down almost any street in Brighton and Hove and someone will come up and talk to her who she knows.
“The mayoralty is a special part of the Brighton and Hove tradition and one as Conservatives we treat with great respect.
“As Conservatives it is our privilege to be able to nominate the mayor for the next year and an honour to propose one of our city’s best characters – the one and only Dawn Barnett. Dawn will be an excellent mayor.”
Councillor Barnett said that it was a great honour to be nominated and said: “I’m so sorry that Mary is unable to fulfil what was going to be her role, particularly after two years of being deputy mayor of Brighton and Hove.
“Mary is my great friend. I’ve talked to her every day for many years and it is such a shame she cannot be mayor. I know how much she was looking forward to the year.
“I would like to thank my Conservative colleagues for nominating me for this honour.
“This city has been my life since I was seven years of age. I think the Brighton, Hove and Portslade people are genuine and I have always been glad to be a part of this city with them.
“It’s an important year for the city ahead with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and I want to make it a really special year for the residents and one they will remember for many years to come.”
Keep well yourself Dawn! Pace yourself for this gig! And give Mary a big hug from me with hopes she is going to be OK