History was made in Bradley Stoke last night (Wednesday 16th May) at the Town Council’s AGM when Cllr Charlotte Walker (Con, Lakeside) was elected as Town Mayor for the coming year and so become the youngest female Mayor in the country.
Cllr Walker, who has lived in Bradley Stoke since she was 11, became the town’s youngest ever Councillor last year and was promptly elected Vice-Chair of the Council by her colleagues.
At 24, Cllr Walker is three years younger than fellow Lakeside Ward representative Cllr Robert Jones was in 2008 when he took office as Mayor, at that time the youngest in the town’s history.
Cllr Jones, who acts as Press Spokesperson for the Town Council, was full of praise for his colleague saying:
“Charlotte has proven herself a fast learner in the last year and I’m sure she’ll make an excellent Mayor. The other Councillors and I are looking forward to working with her in the year ahead.”
Charlotte however isn’t getting carried away with the accolade of Britain’s youngest female Mayor and insists she just wants to do her best for the town’s 20,000+ residents saying:
“People are making a big deal about my age, but there are younger Mayors than me, it just so happens that they’re all men.”
“I’m just focusing on doing my best for the people of Bradley Stoke.”
If Charlotte needs any advice in her new role she won’t need to look far as she takes over the chain from older brother Ben, who steps down after two years in the role and is set to take the Chair of South Gloucestershire Council next week, assuming he survives a smear campaign against him that has surfaced in the last week.
The ambitious Mr Walker, who is rumoured to fancy himself as an MP, looks like he will continue to play a prominent role in Bradley Stoke politics as he allowed himself to be nominated to serve on all three of the Town Council’s committees for the coming year.
The outgoing Mayor’s last duty of office was to hand over cheques for £4,245.60 each to his two chosen charities for the year, The Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group and 1st Bradley Stoke Scout Group.
Photo (L-R): Sara Messenger (Treasurer) and Gill Smith (Committee Member) of the Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group receive a cheque from outgoing Bradley Stoke Mayor Cllr Ben Walker.
Photo (L-R): Clive Mason (Chair), William March and Edward March of the 1st Bradley Stoke Scout Group receive a cheque from outgoing Bradley Stoke Mayor Cllr Ben Walker.
The new Mayor’s charities for the coming year were announced as the Alzheimer’s Society Sports and Social Club (which meets at Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre) and the Have a Heart campaign (supporting Childline).
Earlier in the day, Ms Walker was interviewed (as Mayor-elect) on BBC Radio Bristol’s Breakfast Show. Listen again here (for the next seven days).
Lead photo: New Mayor Cllr Charlotte Walker receives the chain of office from her predecessor (and elder brother) Cllr Ben Walker.
[Ed: The claim that Ms Walker is “Britain’s youngest female Mayor” comes from the Town Council and has not been verified by The Journal.]
Editor, surely there is some mistake? The cheque being presented by Cllr Walker should surely be payable to HMRC and all his other creditors? Hope it doesn’t bounce!
Can this picture please be placed in the dictionary next to the entry for NEPOTISM.
Thank you
I have this little sister named Lola, she’s really funny. Today we are going to play being Mayor.
Perhaps in honour of the beginings of this Political dynasty. Any new development in Bradley Stoke should name a road after them I suggest.
Walker Way
Boy wonder, not sure if your aware but the cheque is signed by BSTC. I’m sure you would have a field day to see the council paying HMRC, or even the local scout troop cashing in on cheques made payable to the tax man considering the apparent love of entertaining ridiculous, self-proclaimed smear campaigns on this site!
Also, I’m sure BSTC’s bank balance will cover the amount of the cheque, I doubt it will boune! Cllr Walker and the people of BS have raised this money for charity so perhaps some comendmant is due?!
In an effort to drum up some coverage of this story in the national press, the Town Council put out a second press release on Friday:
Town Council Confirms Youngest Mayor (BSTC)
The role of mayor is agreed by ALL councillors,not by one.
If people don’t like the way the Town is run,why don’t they stand for election?
The ‘smear’ campaign comes from events as far back as 2009, before Mr Walker became Mayor,why wasn’t it mentioned then.It’s only when persons want to improve themselves that the back biters come out of the woodwork.
localresident, not sure about your comment “when persons want to improve themselves” with regard to becoming Mayor. It’s public office and the objective is the good and benefit of the town and it’s people not the individual!. Oh I understand now 😉
Catchup article in the Bristol Post today:
Charlotte becomes town’s youngest ever mayor
Victor Meldrew & others, let’s give the new mayor & our council time to do the job they were elected for. These ‘volunteers’ in public office are braver than most of us.
After only one year in office seems anyone can be the mayor. Still big bruv. will probably help you out if you get stuck- or perhaps not now.
Bradley Stoke’s new Mayor, Cllr Charlotte Walker, was absent from tonight’s BSTC Planning Committee meeting, the first BSTC meeting since the AGM.
No sign of Cllr Charlotte Walker at last night’s meeting of the Leisure, Youth and Amenities Committee.
Maybe staying away is part of her “I’m just focusing on doing my best for the people of Bradley Stoke.” policy….
Draft minutes of last Wednesday’s meeting of the Finance Committee, published today, record that: “Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Charlotte Walker”.
Councillor Roger Avenin was re-elected as Chair of the Committee.
Cllr Charlotte Walker attended this Wednesday’s “extra” Full Council meeting.
Would have been embarrassing if she hadn’t as she called the meeting!
Proposed changes to standing orders relating to meeting dates during August (put forward by Cllr Tom Aditya) failed to win the support of Council.
Just read the profile of Mayor Charlotte Walker in the latest issue of the Bradley Stoke Matters advertising booklet.
Doubters of Ms Walker’s ability/commitment will hopefully feel more comfortable now that they know the names of Ms Walker’s pets!
Editor, perhaps if you were a real journalist who actually spoke to people, you might appreciate that one word answers for questions in interviews are not that helpful. I imagine the Interviewer of the Bradley stoke matters article was grateful for the extra information about the mayors pets!
Interesting to see the consistent glass half full/ glass half empty difference in outlook of the two local publications.
Also, good to see you keeping journalistically neutral. Seems a bit like hounding the new mayor, I can’t seem to find your comments about other councillers absenses.
@Lackoplopresti, I’m sure the Bradley Stoke Matters people were delighted with the information about the Mayor’s pets. Surprised though that they missed the opportunity to slip in a thinly-disguised advertorial for a local pet shop!
As for your comment about neutrality, this is a story specifically about the appointment of the Mayor, not any of the other Councillors.
For your information, we give an annual mention to the best and worst Councillor attendance records when the figures are release each spring.
If you would like to know which Councillors have been absent from a specific meeting, you can find out here on the Council website. Thanks to the success of a Bradley Stoke Journal campaign for improved transparency at BSTC, you can now do that within a few days of each meeting rather than having to wait months to find out.