Cllr Dayley Lawrence (Labour) has been elected as the new mayor of Bradley Stoke.
He was formally handed the chain of office on Wednesday 17th May 2023 at Bradley Stoke Town Council’s annual meeting.
As previously reported, following the elections on Thursday 4th May 2023 the 15-seat council now has seven Labour members (up six from 2019), six Conservatives (down six from 2019), one Liberal Democrat and one Green.
It is believed that Cllr Lawrence is the first Labour Party affiliated chair or mayor since the council was formed 30 years ago.
Cllr Lawrence said:
“It is an absolute honour to be elected the first Labour mayor of Bradley Stoke. Being the first citizen of Bradley Stoke is something that really makes me proud of the town where I live. I thank Cllr Jon Williams [Liberal Democrat] for proposing me and would also like to thank the residents of our town that voted for change on our council.”
“I am committed to working with all councillors to make our town a great place to live and work. After a turbulent year or two, it’s refreshing to see a new team around the table. A team that I believe can work together for our residents.”
Two chains
In addition to his membership of Bradley Stoke Town Council, Cllr Lawrence also sits on Patchway Town Council and he was recently re-elected to serve as mayor of Patchway for 2023/24.
Editor’s note: Yes, it is possible to be a councillor on more than one parish/town council, provided you meet certain criteria. Find out more: Can you stand for election? [PDF] (Electoral Commission)
Charity presentations
As his last action in the role, outgoing mayor Tony Griffiths presented cheques to the two recipients of the mayor’s charity fund for 2023/23. A total of £9,289 has been raised over the past year, split equally between Great Western Air Ambulance Charity and St Peter’s Hospice.
The money was raised through community events including the community festival, scarecrow trail and fireworks display.
Representatives from both charities accepted their ceremonial cheques and thanked everyone for their support of the charities over the past year.
