The Mayor is the first citizen of Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council and acts as Chair of the Council. By virtue of his office, the Mayor is in a unique position to relate the work of the Authority to the community it serves and to overcome any feeling of ‘remoteness’ which the creation of a large local Council may have tended to create. The Mayoral tradition and concept helps to maintain the important links between the Council and the many organisations, voluntary and otherwise, in its area. The Mayor also represents the Council and, through it, the local community, at formal and ceremonial occasions in the Borough and elsewhere.
It is important from the Council’s point of view that the Mayor should be enabled to discharge the duties of the office effectively and that there should be a clear understanding of the Mayoral and Civic role.
This handbook is intended to describe the Office of Mayor and the more important aspects of civic protocol and procedure, which apply within the Borough. It is hoped that the handbook will be of assistance not only to Mayors and Deputy Mayors, but to Members of the Council and those actually responsible for the planning and the arranging of Mayoral and Civic programmes.
With effect from May 2000, the Council introduced an Executive decision-making structure based on the Leader/Cabinet Model and these notes relate to the effect of that model only on the Mayoralty.
Contents
- History of the office and present day role of the Mayor
- The position of the Mayor
- Office of the Mayor
- Looking back - a brief history
- Flag flying
- Political neutrality
- Precedence of the Mayor
- Protocol - written and verbal
- Regalia
- Religion
- Robes
- Speeches (including inaugural speech)
- Title
- Poem 'Life after the Chain'
