Transparency row overshadows mayor-making ceremony in Ripon as four councillors refuse to back nominated mayor

But it descended into chaos yesterday after four councillors refused to back the nominated mayor, Sid Hawke when it was claimed the usual rules had been ripped up during the nomination process.

Each year, a city councillor takes up the mayoral position and attends events on behalf of the city.

This year, both Eamon Parkin and Sid Hawke put themselves forward for the role which is decided by their fellow councillors.

Councillor Hawke, who has been the mayor for the last two years, was announced as the mayor elect in March.

Councillors wearing ceremonial robes met at Ripon’s Town Hall on Wednesday (May 15) for the ceremony.

But Councillor Barbara Brodigan (Spa ward) addressed councillors to say she would not be supporting Councillor Hawke due to the rules being changed.

She said councillors had now been asked to choose their preferred candidate via email to a council clerk rather than in person.

Councillor Brodigan said a vote by email is “not transparent and is not a secret voting process".

She was backed by Councillor Pauline McHardy (Minster ward) who said the new process for nominating the mayor was “flawed”.

Councillor McHardy said: “We used to have a meeting with a secret vote and all councillors pulled together after discussions.

"If there are two candidates for mayor then they each have to give a presentation, this is not happening.

"We now just send an email with no proper meeting.”

Their complaints were rejected by deputy leader of the council Councillor Peter Horton who was chairing the meeting.

He said the process was still confidential because nobody knew each other’s email.

He added: “It was a perfectly straightforward procedure.”

As is tradition in mayor-making ceremonies, Councillor Hawke was waiting outside ready to be “dragged in” before signing the city’s ancient oath.

It was a nervous wait as councillors took a vote on whether to approve his nomination which ended up tied by four votes to four.

It left chair Councillor Horton with the casting vote and he voted in favour of Councillor Hawke’s nomination.

After being confirmed as the mayor for the next 12 months, a relieved Councillor Hawke said it was a “privilege to be elected mayor of this wonderful city again”.

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the meeting, Council Leader Andrew Williams described the scenes as “appalling”.

He said: “This is supposed to be a dignified civic event and it turned into mudslinging.

"I’ve never, ever been to mayor-making quite like it.”

Councillor Brodigan told the Local Democracy Reporting Service today (May 16) that councillors were unhappy with the new rules and “our voices need to be heard”.

She said: “It’s not personal against Sid.

"The correct process was not used and our questions about it have not been answered.

"We wanted to say how we felt about it.”