Mayor of Mansfield

Mayor of Mansfield
Incumbent
Andy Abrahams
since 6 May 2019
Style Executive Mayor
Member of Mansfield Labour Group
Appointer Electorate of Mansfield
Term length Four years
Salary £49,377.04 (Special responsibility allowance)
+ £7935.96 (associated expenses) 2022/23
Website Meet the Mayor

The Mayor of Mansfield is the directly elected executive mayor of the district of Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, England. A new appointment was created from 2002 following moves made by a Mansfield-based businessman to change the governance of Mansfield after a public referendum.

Andy Abrahams was elected on 3 May 2019 by two votes from sitting incumbent Kate Allsop after two recounts of the second-preference votes.

The incumbent from 2002 to May 2015 was Tony Egginton, succeeded by his fellow Mansfield Independent Forum party member Kate Allsop, who stood against Egginton in 2002 as a Conservative.

From the 2015 booklet issued to all households having registered voters:

An elected Mayor is different to a ceremonial Mayor or Leader of the council as they are elected by the people of Mansfield district.

It is the job of the Mayor to represent the council and its residents, make key decisions on policies, services and how the council spends its money.

The Mayor is supported by a Cabinet of councillors who help him or her develop and implement these policies.

Establishment

The role of elected mayor was created following a public referendum on 2 May 2002. The referendum was the culmination of a campaign led by local businessman Stewart Rickersey to have a directly elected mayor for the district. The inaugural election was scheduled for 17 October 2002. Prior to the referendum Mansfield District Council was governed by a leader and cabinet system, in which a leader of the council was elected indirectly from the largest group elected to the council. Labour councillor Jim Hawkins had been leader of the council from its creation in 1974; he did not stand for election as mayor, with Labour's candidate being the deputy leader of the council, Lorna Carter.

Mayor of Mansfield Referendum
2 May 2002
Choice Votes %
Referendum passed Elected Mayor 8,972 55
Cabinet System 7,350 45
Total votes 16,327 100.00

Election results

2002

Mansfield Mayoral Election 17 October 2002
Party Candidate 1st round 2nd round
 First round votes  Transfer votes 
Total Of round Transfers Total Of round
Independent Tony Egginton 4,150 29.6% 1,801 5,951 52.6%
Labour Lorna Carter 4,773 34.0% 590 5,363 47.4%
Conservative Kate Allsop 3,351 23.9%
Liberal Democrats Phil Smith 958 6.8%
Green Mike Comerford 811 5.8%
Turnout 14,043
Independent win

2007

Mansfield Mayoral Election 3 May 2007
Party Candidate 1st round 2nd round
 First round votes  Transfer votes 
Total Of round Transfers Total Of round
Mansfield Independent Tony Egginton 12,015 36.7% 1,705 13,720 61.0%
Labour Alan Meale 8,129 30.8% 655 8,784 39.0%
Conservative Aaron Beattie 2,770 10.5%
Liberal Democrats Philip Burman 1,944 7.4%
Green Mary Button 1,489 5.6%
Turnout 26,383 34.2
Mansfield Independent hold

2011

The 2011 election was third direct election for the mayoralty of Mansfield. The sitting mayor, Tony Egginton, successfully defended his position, which he first won in 2002. On 5 May 2011 he was elected for the third time, winning in the second round of voting with the narrow majority of 67 over the Labour candidate Stephen Yemm.

Mansfield Mayoral Election 5 May 2011
Party Candidate 1st round 2nd round
 First round votes  Transfer votes 
Total Of round Transfers Total Of round
Mansfield Independent Tony Egginton 10,901 37.6% 1,779 12,680 50.1%
Labour Stephen Yemm 11,732 40.4% 881 12,613 49.9%
UKIP David Hamilton 2,390 8.2%
Conservative Vic Bobo 2,192 7.6%
Liberal Democrats Anna Marie Ellis 1,813 6.3%
Turnout 29,028
Mansfield Independent hold

2015

The 2015 election was fourth direct election for the mayoralty of Mansfield. The sitting mayor, Tony Egginton, had previously announced his intention to retire. On 7 May 2015 the candidates were former Labour-member turned Independent Phil Shields, Labour's Martin Lee and Mansfield Independent Forum's Kate Allsop, who after the second round of voting won from Martin Lee with a considerable majority.

Mansfield Mayoral Election 7 May 2015
Party Candidate 1st round 2nd round
 First round votes  Transfer votes 
Total Of round Transfers Total Of round
Mansfield Independent Kate Allsop 17,604 37.94% 4,996 22,600 53.4%
Labour Martin Lee 17,562 37.85% 2,158 19,720 46.6%
Independent Philip Shields 9,672 20.84%
Turnout 46,402
Mansfield Independent hold

2019

The 2019 election took place on 2 May 2019. The candidates were Incumbent Mayor Kate Allsop from the Mansfield Independent Forum (MIF), Conservative perennial candidate George Jabbour, and District and County Councillor Steve Garner, formerly with MIF, standing as an independent. In late March Mansfield Labour group selected a third candidate in former teacher and civil engineer Andy Abrahams, following the suspension of Cllr Sean McCallum and resignation of Paul Bradshaw. In March 2019, 2015 Mayoral Candidate and former District Councillor Philip Shields announced his intention to run in 2019.

Mansfield Mayoral Election 2 May 2019
Party Candidate 1st round 2nd round
 First round votes  Transfer votes 
Total Of round Transfers Total Of round
Labour Andy Abrahams 6,681 29.18% 1,249 7,930 50.01%
Mansfield Independent Kate Allsop 5,860 24.84% 2,068 7,928 49.99%
Independent Steve Garner 4,827 20.47%
Conservative George Jabbour 3,592 15.23%
Independent Philip Shields 2,422 10.27%
Turnout 23,582 29.8%
Labour gain from Mansfield Independent

2023

The 2023 mayoral election took place on 4 May, 2023. Final candidates declared in early April were Andy Abrahams (Labour), Mick Barton (Mansfield Independents), Andre Camilleri (Conservative), Karen Seymour (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition) and Julie Margaret Tasker-Love-Birks (Independent). Both the Conservative and Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidates' campaigns included potentially seeking to abolish the position of executive mayor, subject to a successful public referendum.

Labour's Andy Abrahams was re-elected with a significant margin of over 4,000 votes, in contrast with his previous win by two votes.

The voting system was first past the post – changing from the supplementary vote system used previously.

Mansfield Mayoral Election 2023
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andy Abrahams 9,987 45.1% Increase15.9
Conservative Andre Camilleri 5,832 26.3% Increase11.1
Mansfield Independent Mick Barton 4,992 22.5% Decrease2.3
Independent Julie Tasker-Love-Birks 936 4.2% NEW
TUSC Karen Seymour 420 1.9% NEW
Turnout 22,167 27.7% Decrease2.1
Labour hold Swing

See also