By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
The Mansfield Independents group at Mansfield District Council has confirmed its candidate to run for elected mayor in next year’s local elections.
Councillor Mick Barton, who represents Maun Valley, will stand as the mayoral candidate in the May 2023 election and is expected to go head-to-head with the current Labour mayor Andy Abrahams.
Cllr Barton has sat on the authority since 2003 and is currently the leader of the opposition at Mansfield Civic Centre.
He has served on numerous council committees including planning, personnel and licensing, acting as the chairman of the licensing committee between 2007 and 2015.
He was also deputy mayor of the authority between 2015 and 2019 when Kate Allsop held the post, as well as portfolio holder for community safety up until the group’s election loss three years ago.
The political group confirmed his selection as the mayoral candidate on Tuesday evening (July 26).
Cllr Barton said: “I am extremely passionate about everything I do and would welcome the opportunity to make some big improvements to the town we all live in.
“Over the coming months, [residents] will see my ideas in leaflets coming through their doors, on social media and in the local media.
“I have some exciting ideas for the town centre and our surrounding district.
“The Mansfield Independents are a friendly group of like-minded individuals, just ordinary people who want to look after and improve the areas they serve.
“My manifesto will be a ‘people’s manifesto’ based on residents’ and the Mansfield Independents’ ideas combined.”
The Mansfield Independents, previously known as the Mansfield Independent Forum, held control of the council between 2003 and 2019, with Tony Egginton serving as elected mayor until 2015.
He was succeeded in the post by former mayor Kate Allsop, who dramatically lost the mayoral position to Andy Abrahams in May 2019 by a margin of just two votes.
It came after a tense six hours of vote counting with several recounts, leading to the Labour Group regaining control of the council.
Voters in Mansfield will return to the polls in May next year for another round of elections, alongside voters in all six other districts and boroughs as well as Nottingham city.
Mansfield is, however, unique in that – alongside electing their local councillors – voters can decide who will become the directly-elected mayor of the district.
This role acts as leader of the council and has the ability to select their own cabinet to control decision-making at the authority.
If a vote is split in the council chamber, the mayor also has the casting vote over whether a decision should go ahead.
The post was created following a public referendum in 2002 and, as of May 2022, there are 26 directly-elected mayors in England.
Mansfield District Council pays the mayor about £60,000 per year, however, Andy Abrahams currently gives a third of his wages to charity.
