A new Lord Mayor of Liverpool is to be put forward next week.
When Liverpool Council’s constitutional issues committee meets at the Town Hall on Thursday 12th May, a successor to the incumbent, Cllr Mary Rasmussen, is expected to be nominated. The civic role, which is always held by a sitting councillor, lasts for one year and is supported by a deputy, the identity of which will also be discussed next week.
Labour Cllr Rasmussen, who represents the Speke-Garston ward, was first elected in 2007. She has also been the Chair of the Labour Group and was the first woman in Liverpool to occupy the Chief Whip role.
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The new Lord Mayor is expected to be sworn in at Liverpool Town Hall, as is tradition, after the covid pandemic meant Cllr Rasmussen took her oath of office at Liverpool Tennis Centre in Wavertree last year. The venue was used for the council’s annual general meeting as the Town Hall did not offer the requisite social distancing at the time.
Previous Lord Mayors of Liverpool include Steve Rotheram, former MP for Liverpool Walton and current Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor, Cllr Anna Rothery - who held the post from 2019 to 2021 - and Peter Brennan, who was forced to stand down from the position after it was revealed he had shared a racist video in a Whatsapp group with fellow councillors.
Former Cllr Brennan also stepped down from his seat in Old Swan and resigned from the Labour Party. Last year, he was asked by officials to stop campaigning in its name.
Among the other items to be discussed include the appointment of Mayor Joanne Anderson’s seven-strong cabinet for the municipal year 2022/23 as she enters the second year in post. The LDRS understands that no major changes are expected from the current line-up of Mayor Anderson’s top table after the first 12 months since appointment.
Cllr Jane Corbett’s role as deputy mayor and each member of the cabinet’s responsibilities are also to be confirmed by the committee next week. The appointments will be heard by the members before going to the full council for final ratification later this month.
