Welsh city appoints first Conservative mayor in almost a quarter of a century

Alec Doyle, Local Democracy Reporter

A city in north Wales has confirmed the appointment of its first Conservative Mayor since 2003.

Jeremy Kent has been appointed the new Mayor of Wrexham for the forthcoming year.

The Gresford East/West councillor will have big boots to fill after it was revealed that his predecessor Cllr Tina Mainwaring raised more than £60,000 for her nominated charities last year.

The majority of that money will go to the Dynamic Centre in Wrexham for children and young people with disabilities or additional learning needs to help purchase a new minibus for the charity.

Around £17,000 pledged by the Institute of Cemeteries and Cremation Management will be awarded to 2 Wish – a Wales-wide charity providing bereavement support to all those affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a child or young adult aged 25.

Cllr Kent – the first Conservative Mayor of Wrexham for 24 years – will be joined by Deputy Mayor and fellow Conservative Jeremy Newton of Bronington and Hanmer.

The new Mayor immediately set about putting his own mark on the office, appointing Wrexham’s first ‘Mayor’s Cadet’ – acknowledging his own role within the cadet forces.

“The role will give young people the opportunity to represent the county borough while celebrating and encouraging youth leadership and civic engagement,.” said Cllr Kent.

“I’m very pleased to announce that Cadet Warrant Officer Oliver Edwards of 2279 Wrexham Squadron, Royal Air Force Cadets, has been selected to be Wrexham’s first ever Mayor’s Cadet.”

Addressing council 

Cllr Kent then addressed the council chamber as Mayor for the first time.

“Well, here we are – Mayor of Wrexham,” he said. “It still feels a very strange thing to say.

“I recall bringing a group of cadets to the chamber in 2018, long before I had any aspirations of public office. As part of that tour, I was invited to sit in this chair. My colleague said, ‘That looks good on you,’ and I jokingly replied, ‘one day’.

“At the time, I didn’t believe it, I didn’t expect it and I certainly didn’t plan for it. It was just another moment in the life of a much younger, much more naïve version of myself.

“”I’ve very much enjoyed serving as Deputy Mayor over the past 12 months, watching Tina lead with such dedication has been a fantastic example of what service truly means. I’m grateful for her guidance and humility, and I hope I can do justice to the example she has set.

“I want to take a moment to thank my friends and family for their unwavering support. I must also extend my thanks to my employers, North West Reserve Forces and Cadets Association, for the flexibility and understanding they’ve shown in allowing me to undertake this role.

“I extend my sincere thanks to the civic team for the support they will provide as I do my very best to showcase Wrexham, support our communities and represent every resident of the county borough.

“My final thanks must be to the good people of Gresford for electing me to be their councillor and for giving me the ability to take on the position of mayor.”

To mark the appointment the choir of All Saints School in Gresford sang Count on Me by Bruno Mars, the Welsh hymn Calon Lân and This is Me from The Greatest Showman.

Chosen charities

Cllr Kent also announced his chosen charities, Andy’s Man Club – which supports men’s mental health and WeMindTheGap, a Wrexham-based charity that supports young people through mentoring, paid work placements and life skills training.

He set himself a Mayoral challenge to train a thousand people as community first aiders across the county borough over the next 12 months. Finally he revealed plans to host a youth arts festival showcasing music, dance, public speaking and creative writing talents in Wrexham

Council Leader Cllr Mark Pritchard welcomed the new Mayor and paid tribute to Cllr Mainwaring’s time in the role last year – highlighting her role representing the council at the National Eisteddfod, welcoming HMS Dragon’s crew to Wrexham for the Freedom March and overseeing the granting of the Freedom of the Borough to Wrexham AFC manager Phil Parkinson.

Reflecting on her year as Mayor, Cllr Mainwaring said she was proud to have represented the city and the County Borough.

“We commemorated the 91st anniversary of the Gresford disaster, we celebrated winning Wales in Bloom, we launched Wrexham Year of Wonder, celebrating the 150th anniversary of Wrexham and we launched the City of Culture bid,” she said.

“We have held lots of citizenship ceremonies alongside the High Sheriff Julie Gilbanks. Being part of British citizens taking the oath and agreeing to follow the values and principles that underpin our society was truly special.

“We celebrated with Wrexham Football Club for their continued success this year. They have truly put Wrexham on the global stage. I can’t believe that I, alongside others, put the first spade in the ground on building the new Kop.

“I have hosted many children in the chamber from schools, churches, clubs and organisations. It’s important that our children know their worth. It isn’t always about good grades; it’s about celebrating their resilience, their ambitions and empowering them to reach their dreams.

“One question I often asked the children after listening to them was, “Well, who’s going to stop you? Who’s going to stop you being what you want to be?”