‘It’s disappointing to see game playing by Labour colleagues over the Havering Mayoralty’-HRA.
The appointment of Councillor Gerry O’Sullivan as Havering Mayor instead of Deputy Mayor Councillor Patricia Brown, has caused an upset amongst Labour councillors.
Havering Residents Association members today write:
In 2022, The H.R.A formed a working relationship with Labour as there was no one party that had overall control.
A Working Agreement was established which included the membership of the Cabinet (7 H.R.A, 2 Labour). There was no inclusion on the role of Mayor.
It was verbally agreed that the Mayor in the first year would be Labour with an H.R.A Deputy Mayor. The second year would be an H.R.A Mayor and Labour Deputy Mayor. It was at this point that the Leader of the Labour Group made it clear to Cabinet that the Labour Deputy Mayor did not want to be Mayor. The Deputy Mayor reinforced this with other Councillors.
It was therefore disappointing to see the game playing by Labour colleagues over the Mayoralty. One of the nine Labour Members abstained from the vote.
The former Deputy Mayor Councillor Brown requested there should be no thanks or flowers at the Meeting on Wednesday for her. This was not a comfortable position for H.R.A Members who wanted to thank the Deputy Mayor.
Councillor Ray Morgon said: “We have to respect Members wishes, but on behalf of the H.R.A, I would like to thank Councillor Patricia Brown for her work in the borough as Deputy Mayor for Havering”.
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Anonymous HRA member says, “It was at this point that the Leader of the Labour Group made it clear to Cabinet that the Labour Deputy Mayor did not want to become Mayor”?
Perhaps newly elected Cllr Pat Brown was scared at the thought of being Mayor, but after a year as Deputy Mayor realised she needn’t be. Her comments after being sidelined indicate this, but was she asked whether she had changed her mind?
I remember Cllr Barbara Matthews was very upset at missing out on the Mayoralty after serving as Deputy Mayor, but at least in that case there were pressing party political reasons for the snub, but its seems an act of sabotage to ignore convention when HRA are in a coalition with Labour or is that the idea?