THE row over this year's Test Valley mayor-making ceremony is rumbling on with the Lib/Dems calling for the selection process to be non-political.
The row blew up after news that the Conservative ruling group had rejected a request for a Lib/Dem councillor to be nominated for the position of deputy mayor.
The Lib/Dems were furious because they felt they were being penalised for a protest by some of their members during the 2005 ceremony.
Their 2005 protest was over the appointment of the mayor, deputy-mayor and vice-chair of the council's southern area planning committee.
But council leader Ian Carr said they could not expect to win a nomination if they did not respect the institution of the mayor.
Now the Lib/Dems are campaigning for a non-political selection process.
Cllr Mark Cooper said: "All councillors who believe that the role of a borough's first citizen, the mayor, should be non-political will need to support Cllr Robin Hughes's motion at Test Valley Borough Council's next meeting on 26 April.
"Not only is the mayor the first citizen, he or she is the local representative of the Queen.
"It is absolutely essential that the selection process should be by criteria other than political."
For the full story see Friday's Andover Advertiser
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