Council leader's mayoral snub a 'disgrace'

Reporter: Jan Harwood
Date online: 25 April 2009

In a complaint to Rochdale Council Council Leader Alan Taylor's deliberate snub of Mayor Robin Parker on St George's Day has been described as "disgraceful" and the snub "demonstrates a singularly poor lack of judgement" by Councillor Taylor and "reflects very badly on Rochdale Council".

The complaint refers to the leader of Rochdale Council and the Liberal Democrats locally, Councillor Alan Taylor, raising the St George flag alongside other Liberal Democrat councillors and members of the public outside the Town Hall on Thursday 23 April, a "civic function" that Mr Journeaux believes not only should the mayor be invited to attend, but should be invited to perform.

The complainant said: "On Thursday 23 April the Council failed to invite the Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Robin Parker, to the raising of the St George flag at the Town Hall. On enquiring with the Liberal Democrat office as to why, Rochdale Online news staff were informed that it was, in effect, a quite deliberate snub.

"The role of the mayor is, and should remain, completely non-political and the raising of the St George flag on St George’s Day is surely a civic function that the mayor, regardless of political persuasion, should not only be invited to but should be invited to perform.

"Councillor Taylor’s snub is quite disgraceful and demonstrates a singularly poor lack of judgement and reflects very badly on Rochdale Council.

"I would ask the council to reprimand Councillor Taylor and in future to take the decisions as to who attends such civic functions away from the political arena. 

Mayor Robin Parker, in a dignified response to the snub said: "It does seem sad that I have been invited to every other flag raising event during my Mayoral year, but have been left out of the event to raise my own flag."