Top stories

Wrong choice for lord mayor

Yorkshire Evening Post, 24th December 2008 CURIOSER and curiouser! I giggled when I read in the YEP that a Morley Borough Independent will be the next Lord Mayor of Leeds. Your article on December 18 reported that Coun Judith Elliott has been a Leeds city councillor representing the Morley Borough Independents since 2004. I checked the date to make sure that it wasn't the first day of April and began to wonder – Why would a party which is unhappy with being part of the city of Leeds, want one of their group to be Lord Mayor of Leeds? A rather strange concept of independence... From my reading of the YEP I have found that the five Morley Borough Independents cost the 'big, bad' city of Leeds in excess of £100,000 every year. On Coun Elliott, you quote Coun Finnegan as saying: "Her commitment to local people is legendary." I always thought that the Lord Mayor of Leeds was a role for someone who had contributed many long years in the council chamber and public life. If I recall correctly, Coun Atha from Kirkstall was a councillor for nearly 50 years, has worked and continues to work hard for the people of West Leeds, as well as being a true friend of the cultural life of our city. Surely the position of Lord Mayor shouldn't be something to be handed out like Christmas cards at work ("I'll give you a card because you gave me a card"). The role of Lord Mayor is being demeaned by this petty politicking by an alliance who are bumbling around the Civic Hall trying to do something – but haven't got a clue. Perhaps they could start by ensuring the grit bins are topped up on a regular basis. Maybe the Morley Borough Indep-endents know that they won't get another chance to be Lord Mayor of Leeds – then again with the Lib Dem-Tory 'Uncle Tom Cobley' and all promise-everything-to-everyone-and-do-nothing alliance calling the shots maybe they'll appoint Coun Elliot again next year! Mrs Bahija Essadi, Leafield Grange, Moortown, Leeds I agree with Coun Finnigan that the politicians on Leeds City Council are disregarding the political process – but these politicians are Coun Finnigan and his Tory/Lib Dem friends who are guilty. If the Tories or Lib Dems think an ex-Tory should be the Lord Mayor, perhaps they should wait until their 'turn' instead of stealing someone else's? They have explicitly politicised this role for their own murky benefit. Stephen Clark, Bawn Approach, Leeds