Mary Reid

Yesterday, at Annual Council, I was elected and installed as the Mayor of the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

The picture shows me with the retiring Mayor, Cllr Yogan Yoganathan.

The election for the new Mayor is normally held at the Council meeting before Annual Council, which gives the Mayor Elect a few weeks to prepare for the role. 

This year the whole Council was re-elected on 4th May, and the election of Mayor could not take place until yesterday, so it has all been a bit of a rush.

I have to admit that I was very nervous.  It is an extraordinary honour, and I was only too aware of the historical importance of the role in this ancient borough, as well as its significance today.

This was my acceptance speech:

The declaration and oath that I have just taken are solemn promises to serve the Royal Borough and this Council to the best of my ability.  I take them very seriously.

I consider it a great honour to act as Mayor for this wonderful Borough – a place with a long and romantic history, with a thriving commercial heart and with a vision for the future.

I thank you for your support.  I do appreciate why there was a contested election today, but want to assure you that I don’t hold it against you!

I hope that all members will give me their full support in the role of Mayor, which I carry out on behalf of all of you.

I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome all new  members to the Council. Congratulations on your election. You should find the experience as a councillor both stimulating and challenging.

Some of you will know that I believe strongly in the role of elected representatives in a participatory democracy. I value the presence of all of you here. Together we can do much to improve the lives and environment of the citizens of this Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames.

I also said this:

You may not be surprised to hear that my theme for the year will be connected with young people, in particular how to give them the skills and opportunities to participate fully in their communities. 

As far as my charity is concerned, I am exploring the possibility of setting up or, hopefully, using an existing mechanism by which money raised could be paid into what would, in effect, be a trust fund and then re-distributed as grants to benefit young people within the borough.  My investigations are still at an early stage but I will let you know their outcome as soon as possible.