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'I could be mayor'

1:00pm Sunday 21st February 2010 in


THE man next in line to become deputy mayor of Basingstoke and Deane is “seriously considering” a request to put himself forward for mayor.

Councillor Keith Chapman has tried to remain above the fray, absenting himself from last Thursday’s vote at Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council about whether Cllr Phil Heath should become mayor.

Cllr Heath became the first deputy mayor of Basingstoke in history to be blocked from elevation to mayor.

The 53-year-old was expelled from the Conservative Party in 2008 and set up his own Basingstoke First Community Party.

On Thursday, all bar four of the 33 Tories on the Conservative-controlled council voted against him.

By tradition, mayors in Basingstoke have been chosen on the basis of the number of years served on the borough council.

Cllr Chapman – the council Cabinet member for sport and leisure – is next in line for the mayoralty after Cllr Heath. He told The Gazette: “I have been asked by the chief executive Tony Curtis to complete a nomination form in light of the council’s vote on Thursday.

“I’m seriously considering, but if I put my nomination forward there is no guarantee it will happen.”

Cllr Chapman, who joined the council as ward member for Pamber in 1979, has already been mayor once before, in 1992-93.

He said: “It’s not ideal but, whoever is going to be it, it’s not going to be ideal for them either. The only difference is I have been mayor before. I know the ground and would get on with it.”

The veteran councillor said he had tried to remain neutral on the issue of Cllr Heath, adding: “I think it is rather sad that it’s got to this.

“Circumstances are circumstances. I can’t recall a time on this council of any problems with a prospective mayor coming up. He’s got four complaints against him going to standards committee and it does make it difficult.”

Asked whether he thought Cllr Heath should be mayor, Cllr Chapman said: “It’s entirely up to the council to make that decision, not me as an individual.”

Mr Curtis said: “On behalf of the mayor, Cllr Chapman has been asked, as next in seniority, if he wishes to exercise his seniority and seek nomination as mayor for 2010-11.”

Meanwhile, former mayors George Hood and Gerry Traynor, in a letter to The Gazette, have urged the council to reach a resolution that stops the mayoralty being politicised.

And former mayoress Jeanette Eddie, whose husband John Eddie was mayor in 1982-83 and in 1971-72, also wrote to The Gazette, to call for careful reflection.

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller, a Conservative, declined to say whether she thought that Cllr Heath should be mayor.

“I don’t comment on those things,” she said. “That’s an internal thing for the councillors.”

Comments(11)

stevemac1970 says...
8:08pm Sun 21 Feb 10

There's a headline that could work for both candidates. OK, this is an interesting story, the man who says he is considering running for Mayor is the same man who has already asked Cllr Heath to "Step aside for a year" so he could be Mayor this coming year, hardly neutral is it. Also, he was asked to fill in a nomination paper by a man who is one of the complainants. This is the mess caused by a bunch of politicians and the chief executive all now clearly determined to politicise an A-political post. Then there's the MP Maria Miller, if she stays on the fence much longer she'll have splinters in her backside. Who is she trying to kid, she is a conservative, she represents the views of Basingstoke and has a duty to speak out for what the people want in the town. Is it she agrees with the view that the Mayor should be politicised, then say, or is it the the Conservative group in the council is out of control as it would appear. It's time to tell the MP to tell her colleagues to stop destroying her majority in the town and stand up for the peoples views, not stay quiet because there is a party line and she doesn't want to go against it. What is more important to her, the peoples voice finally being heard on this matter or political etiquette? This whole thing with the "nasty party" of Basingstoke is really stinking of sewer politics, time to clean it up and do whats right, the next genuine person in line is NOT Cllr Chapman and it's not for the chief executive to say it is.

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sean dillow says...
10:04pm Sun 21 Feb 10

Cllr Heath has represented us as deputy Mayor for the past year as Mayor in waiting. He is the next most senior cllr and that is the only criteria for being the next mayor. All this talk of politics and personal views about Cllr Heath should be completely separate from the position of Mayor. Cllr's and the general public should support Cllr Heath for Mayor. If anyone has any other issues with cllr Heath then these should be dealt with separately it should be nothing to do with the position of Mayor in this borough. If we want a politically elected Mayor, like in London, then this is a completely different matter. The Mayor of this borough is a position of seniority and until the process is changed this is how it should be decided

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stevemac1970 says...
1:36am Mon 22 Feb 10

sean-dillow Again, you have got it absolutely spot on, now lets hear the local MP come out and support the process that has so much history or to back it being scrapped so the electors know were she stands and if her views match what the people want. There is a general election this year, come out and fight for what is right for Basingstoke, fight for it's history and heritage Maria.

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Town Guard says...
7:34am Mon 22 Feb 10

"now lets hear the local MP come out and support the process that has so much history or to back it being scrapped so the electors know were she stands"

Rumour has it that Maria Miller was at the Conservative Group meeting the week the vote was taken - perhaps she went for the tea and biscuits and not to discuss the Mayorality at all? Still, she probably heard all the discussion even if she didn't go specially to make her views known to the chosen few.

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stevemac1970 says...
8:48am Mon 22 Feb 10

Well well, the conservative group took a vote on an issue that was a free vote. I think that maybe the group leader said "we wanted to have a free vote" as apposed to what he told the press "it was a free vote". If it was, why did you need to take a vote in group if not to say how to vote. I've been to group meetings in the past and a vote in the group meeting means no free vote. This surely is in breach of paragraph 4 for Mark Ruffell, if that is true then I feel a freedom of information act being made. I think that I have yet another challenge for the conservative group, come clean and publish the minutes of the meeting where the vote was taken on the next Mayor, the group meeting that is and not the full council meeting where the conservatives done so much damage to Basingstoke, the party and the local MP. Wake up Basingstoke conservative group, smell the coffee and do the right thing instead of stabbing people in the back.

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Hiliter says...
6:41pm Mon 22 Feb 10

Assuming Cllr Chapman is eventually confirmed as Mayor how about a campaign to ignore the "substitute" Mayor over his period of office.No invitations to events organised by community groups and the like or those organised by private companies.Clearly we cant do anything about the Civic events but past Mayors for example could show their disregard and not attend.

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Carlos Tilbury says...
7:15pm Mon 22 Feb 10

Nice idea Hiliter, the only down side to that is the Mayor does bring needed PR to to small groups in and around Basingstoke.
This whole issue has turned into a complete farce, Cllr Chapman, this is the man who did his best not to help save the Haymarket, happy to £150K to Basing House for "Garden Games and Costumes" after they recieved large funds from grants.
I know people make comments about Maria Miller MP and rightly so, she isnt my MP but is a waste of space as is my MP George Young, anyone voting Tory at the next election then good luck!

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Hiliter says...
7:37pm Mon 22 Feb 10

Hiliter again.Is Cllr Chapman really prepared to put his ex colleague Cllr Heath and his family through the awful experience of the Mayor making Council meeting. Hasnt this all come it bit too soon for Cllr Chapman.Surely he would have preferred to be Mayor in 12 months time during the last year before his retirement.Presumabl
y when he gives up his Cabinet post to be Mayor he wont get it back at the end of his term of office as Mayor-or will he? I hope the Cabinet post wont go to one of those Tory Cllrs who made complaints about Cllr Heath - that really would be too much for the public to bear.

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stevemac1970 says...
10:58pm Mon 22 Feb 10

Hiliter- A slight variation on your idea, how about the Gazette and or Observer, sign up to a year when the groups invite Cllr Heath and publish every week where he went but not publish anything for the Mayor on the grounds the readers don't recognise Cllr Chapman as Mayor?

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george potten says...
2:25pm Tue 23 Feb 10

This is all getting very sordid in council is it i wonder watergate or basing gate. what is going on behind all the closed doors in dark corners of council chambers, all the nod, nod wink,winks. i do feel our own elected M.P should have a say, why is there a line not to cross is it only when votes are requied will that line be crossed and the m.p will say a few words. I do have very much respect for her but she i feel sits on the fence on a number of things Cllr Chapman and any other council member should not gop against the history of basingstoke it will only bring the town down in others eyes. If you want to make change then do not elect a council member but when we have the next election put a new form with it to vote for the person the public wish to have as mayor.

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stevemac1970 says...
3:15pm Tue 23 Feb 10

George Potten- If that were to be what happens in the future then so be it, but we need to stick with what is there and it should not be left open to Conservative interpretation. It is strange how the Conservative party leader wouldn't agree with this way of things, or he would tell Gorden Brown to step aside at the General election to clear his name. He has been accused of what amounts to physical assault and nothing happens and that's the Prime Minister. Maybe the Conservatives in Basingstoke believes the Mayor of the town is more important than the Prime Minister?????

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