Brent's new Mayor and a contest for Deputy

Deputy Mayor, Cllr Orleen Hylton, carrying out her civic duties

 

Residents may encounter the Mayor of Brent at various events as well as seeing them chair meetings of Full Council (often with whispered instructions from the Brent CEO who sits beside them) but may not be aware of the full 'job description'. This is taken from Brent Council's website:

The Mayor has many civic and ceremonial responsibilities and has an ambassadorial role as first citizen of the borough.

This means the Mayor will promote Brent and participate in, and help initiate, activities that help the economic, social, cultural and environmental wellbeing of Brent and its residents.

Mayoral duties carried out by the mayor include:

·       chairing Council meetings

·       signing documents under seal

·       conducting citizenship ceremonies

·       hosting civic events

·       attending local events.

During their period of office, the mayor will receive numerous invitations to events/functions in the borough and across London. The role played at these events varies, depending on their nature and the expectations of the organiser.

At the beginning of each municipal year, it is traditional for the mayor to select one or more local charities to support. The mayor’s office will organise a number of events to raise money for these charities and at the end of the mayoral year the proceeds of these events and any donations received will be evenly distributed to the chosen charities. The mayor may choose to establish a Charity Committee with representatives of the charity(ies) to assist and promote the fundraising efforts.

Although the Mayor and Deputy are officially installed at the Council's Annual General Meeting they are effectively elected at the Labour Group Annual General Meeting. At this meeting the current Deputy Mayor is rubber stamped as 'Mayor designate' and there may be an election for Deputy Mayor if more than one candidate comes forward. 

At the Labour Group AGM at Brent Civic Centre next Tuesday, May 9th, Cllr Orleen Hylton, (Preston ward)  current Deputy Mayor, will be put forward as Mayor for 2023-2024.  There will be an election for the Deputy Mayor, which in effect because the Deputy normally goes on to become Mayor the next year, will be an election for the 2024-2025 Mayor.

The candidates  are Cllr Tariq Dar, Cricklewood and Mapesbury Ward, and Cllr Tony Ethapemi, Stonebridge Ward. Both have been councillors since 2018. Their applications, forwarded to Labour councillors ahead of the AGM, include several sections that together have a total limit of 1,000 words, so this is just a summary. Unfortunately the full applications are not publicly available.

Cllr Tariq Dar MBE, emphasises his support for voluntary and community organisations. He is a charismatic leader and stresses his loyalty, resilience and social intelligence. He says that as Mayor he will be fair, consistent and respectful of others.

 

Cllr Tony Ethapemi claims that his professional background in local government and as a lawyer gives him the necessary leadership qualities for the role. These skills will enable him to ensure disciple and decorum in the Council Chamber.

The Brent Council Annual General meeting is on Wednesday May 17th.

Councillors are appointed to different Committees by the Leader of the Council and their attendance is recorded. These are the candidates' records taken from the Brent Council website.