CARLISLE will never have a mayor from one of the minority political parties, it has been claimed.

Councillor Robert Betton (Botcherby, Independent Group) was planning to speak at Cumberland Council's annual meeting of the charter trustees of the city of Carlisle at the city's Civic Centre last night (Wednesday, May 22).

However, when he tried to make this point after the new mayor had been chosen, he was advised it was not the appropriate time to speak by an officer from Cumberland Council.

During proceedings, Cllr Chris Southward (Denton Holme, Labour) was chosen as the next mayor and Cllr Jeanette Whalen (Yewdale, Labour) as the deputy mayor for the city.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Betton said that there would never be a Green, Lib Dem or an Independent mayor of Carlisle unless they were the ruling majority. He added: "It's looking like there will always be a Labour mayor and vice mayor of Carlisle, unless Labour are voted out in 2027."

He said he was not there for the "rigmarole" and added that it was a very respected position for the city - but felt that there was no “democracy” in the selection process.

However, the newly-elected mayor, Cllr Southward, who until the meeting had served as the deputy mayor for the past year, said it was customary for the deputy to take over as the next mayor at the end of the mayoral year.

He said he thought that Cllr Betton was wrong and added: "We have a very democratic process, there is no party politics in it whatsoever."

Cllr Southward said he would expect Cllr Whalen to be the next mayor. He said: "We invited self-nomination for the deputy mayor. Robert did not self-nominate and I know somebody else who would have backed him and it would have added to democracy. I approached all the other people."

He said that he did not expect it to be "Labour in perpetuity at all".