Councillor John Farebrother

I am delighted that my friend and former council colleague Councillor John Farebrother is to be Wandsworth's Mayor for the coming year.

John is respected in equal measure by both Labour and Conservative councillors alike, and is the true embodiment of the "local councillor", representing the area he has lived in (Furzedown) nearly all of his life.

The appointment by a Conservative-led council of a Labour Mayor is a departure from convention so I want to commend Wandsworth's Conservative councillors. I also want to thank former Labour Councillor Del Hosain, who served as Deputy Mayor to a Conservative councillor in 2005/6 and whose exemplary record helped pave the way for John.

John, a retired civil servant, will have no difficulty matching the Wandsworth tradition of hardworking Mayors and I look forward to seeing him at various functions over the course of his Mayoral year.