This role involves walking one step behind the Mayor of Beverley, making polite conversation and smiling! A civic tradition!
During the past year when I was also Mayor’s Consort I was privileged to meet some wonderful people who serve in civic roles around the East Riding of Yorkshire. Their commitment to community it truly an inspiration to us all.
As next year’s elections appear on the horizon, the Conservative councillors in Beverley are no longer invisible and are concerned about anti-social behaviour, which has got out of control on their watch. Since the Conservatives closed the local youth clubs, they could be held as somewhat culpable in this unfortunate deterioration.
It was also through the diligent efforts of local Lib Dems, in highlighting the possible closure of the local boxing club, that it was eventually saved. Thus young folk have another outlet to let off steam.
Beverley Town Council’s Lib Dems are also leading the refurbishment of the Beverley Skate Park, to give teenagers somewhere to let off steam harmlessly.
The Tories could have invited members of Beverley Town Council to their Anti-Social Behaviour meeting but we were left out in the cold, despite having attended a meeting on Anti-Social Behaviour in St Nicholas Hall a few weeks ago.
Hopefully there will be a team effort on Anti-Social Behaviour between all the relevant organisations, but I am less hopeful than I was. I also fear than any progress made will only be as far as the local elections in 2023, then the situation will be allowed to deteriorate for another 4 years.
Here is a link to the somewhat exclusive meeting organised by our Conservative MP and his Beverley councillors, well except the one who is still in disgrace.
The Liberal Democrat candidate Graham Johnson won the Beverley Minster South by-election by a good margin on 22nd July 2021.
Number of votes were:
Graham Johnson – Liberal Democrat – 527 votes
Elaine Aird – Conservative – 260 votes
Ron Laden – Independent – 124 votes
Recently I noticed unsightly waste in a drainage ditch at the junction of Hull Road and Fight Road in the Minster South ward of Beverley.
Not only is this waste a health hazard to humans and wildlife, but it also degrades this very pleasant neighbourhood.
I took this photo of a discarded COVID mask near the Minster. I have noticed dozens of masks discarded in Beverley over the pas few months. Quite apart from being disappointed that some people would just throw their masks away, there are issues of hygiene and unsightliness from this.
I would urge everyone to dispose of their used COVID masks in proper waste disposal bins, thus not creating a problem for everyone else.
The elected Labour councillor for Beverley Minster South made an accusation, deemed to be unfounded, at a recent Beverley Town Council video meeting and was asked to leave the meeting. Soon afterwards she abruptly resigned from the council and left her voters unrepresented in the planning and management of town affairs.
This sudden resignation necessitated that in Beverley Minster South a local by-election would likely need to be called, which is a time consuming and expensive event for the town council, especially while councillors work hard to help the town recover from the COVID pandemic. In order for there to be an election there needs to be ten people, resident in the ward, who want a by-election. Ironically local Labour Party members feature in the list of twelve people who have petitioned for the by-election, which the resignation of their councillor has brought about!
The Liberal Democrats intend to put up a candidate – Graham Johnson – for the ward by-election and local residents can rest assured that if they elect Graham they will not suddenly be left without representation. They will get a hard working councillor who puts their needs first.