Our council has no overall control, 30 Tory, 30 non-Tory councillors. The local election vote was equally split, with a slight majority for those who didn’t vote Conservative. In this situation, it actually makes sense to have a mayor who is independent.

By right of existing protocols, the Mayoralty in Walsall should go to the councillor who has served longest without previously being Mayor. Both Cllr Shires and Cllr Coughlan, the top two candidates, have waived their rights to be Mayor because of the importance of their current roles, and that makes the Independent Paul Bott the next one most entitled to be Mayor.

In addition, Cllr Bott has served loyally as Deputy Mayor for a year, awaiting his turn to take on this most prestigious of roles. Due to Cllr Bird’s phone call, he has had to write to all the family and friends he had invited to Monday’s Mayor-making service, telling them not to come in case the Tories make real their threat and vote to stop him. Normally this vote is a formality, but it won’t be on Monday!

If the Tories put in a Conservative mayor in these circumstances, they will be acting both immorally and undemocratically. And we will keep on reminding the public on how they have behaved right up until they come up for election next year!

Content published and promoted by Dan Barker (Liberal Democrats) all at 13 Greaves Close, Walsall, WS5 3QT