Mayor of Reading gets extra-time
Councillor David Stevens will stay on for an extra six months due to his disrupted year in office caused by the pandemic
Last updated 26th May 2021
Reading’s mayor will stay on for an extra six months due to limitations during the Covid pandemic.
Last night Reading Borough Council confirmed the move at its first face to face meeting in 14 months held in a socially distanced layout at Reading Town Hall in Blagrave Street.
Councillors were appointed to key positions at the Annual General Meeting which will surely go down as one of the shortest council meetings in history lasting a little over 5 minutes!
Reading’s mayor since May 2020, Conservative councillor David Stevens was due to finish his term this month, with mayors in the town usually appointed to the mostly ceremonial role for one year.
Labour’s Cllr Eden will also take on the mayor role for an extended 18-month period from November 2021 until May 2023.
"I'm very grateful to the councillors to give me another six months"
Speaking after last night's council meeting Councillor Stevens told us: "You can probably tell it was a pretty rotten year in terms of all the things we would have done were cancelled. I'm probably big enough and old enough to say that it wouldn't have been the end of my world if I didn't get any more. The poor High Sheriff (of Berkshire) did her year and that was that nothing more so she had a pretty rotten time, but I'm very grateful to the councillors to give me another six months"
Councillor Stevens has represented Thames Ward since 2004. He was born in Wallingford and went to school in Woodcote and Henley. After leaving Durham University he served in the Royal Navy throughout the 1980s and left to start a civilian career in 1991. He is married with three children. His son will join the Royal Navy in September becoming the fourth generation of his family to do so.
No change at the top
Labour’s Jason Brock and Tony Page will remain as leader and deputy leader of the council, with the party retaining its majority at the local elections earlier this month.
RBC leader councillor Jason Brock said: “It has been an extremely tough year for our town, but we have throughout always sought to do the right thing by residents and businesses in responding to all the challenges we have faced together.
“As we look forward to a period of recovery, although being forever mindful that the threat of Covid has not disappeared, we will be redoubling our efforts to drive forward key projects, focus on the priorities of our community and make tackling inequality a central element of all our work.
“We remain committed to all of our ambitions for Reading. These are ambitions that the electorate have backed us once again to drive forward and we are striving for a future that delivers benefits for everyone across Reading, whatever their circumstances, and a future that is sustainable in social, environmental and economic terms.
“None of us expect an easy ride over the forthcoming period, but I’m extremely confident in the ability and imagination of my team of lead councillors – a team that will always do their utmost to ensure Reading’s residents get the very best from their council.”