Stuart Drummond

Infobox Mayor


name=Stuart Drummond
order=
office= Mayor of Hartlepool
birth_date =Birth date and age|1973|11|29|df=y
birth_place =
term_start =
term_end =
predecessor = New Office
successor =Incumbent
party = Independent
website = [http://www.thisishartlepool.co.uk/democracy/stuartdrummond.asp www.thisishartlepool.co.uk]

Stuart Drummond (born 29 November, 1973) is the first directly-elected mayor of Hartlepool in North East England.Oliver Wright, "Monkey business turns serious for Hartlepool". The Times. London (UK): May 4, 2002. pg. 13 ] He was first elected in 2002 and was re-elected in 2005.Sarah Weaver, "Elected mayor stops the monkey business". The Times. London (UK): May 7, 2005. pg. 63]

Biography

Drummond was born 29 November 1973. He gained an HND in business finance and languages at Salford University. Before his election he had played the mascot - 'H'Angus the Monkey' - for Hartlepool United F.C..

Mayor of Hartlepool

He stood for election to Mayor of the Borough of Hartlepool, a unitary authority in the north east of England, in 2002. He won the election narrowly, with 5,696 votes compared to the Labour candidate's 5,174. The result was greeted with widespread hilarity, attracting attention far beyond Hartlepool. Canada's "National Post" newspaper ran the headline "Monkey wins mayoralty, regains human form". [National Post news services, "Monkey wins mayoralty, regains human form" (Toronto edition headline)/"Monkey mascot wins $121,800 job as mayor" (all but Toronto edition headline), "National Post" (Canada), 4 May 2002, archived online at http://www.fpinfomart.ca, $4.95 fee to view full article.]

After his election, Drummond stood down as mascot. A local story suggests that local bookmakers set bets on the outcome of the election, with high odds against H'Angus being elected, and local "Poolies" being what they are, went out, placed their bet and then placed their vote, ultimately to benefit from the odds.Fact|date=May 2007

On 5 May, 2005, Drummond was re-elected as the mayor of Hartlepool with an increased majority of 10,205. Stuart failed to fulfill his free banana manifesto commitment due to a shortage of funds, although to his credit he did offer a sustainable option of free banana plants to all the town's schools.Fact|date=May 2007 Drummond is most commonly found on home matches where he has a regular spot in the Mill House Stand, although he does refuse to talk politics during the match.Fact|date=May 2007

A campaign group set up in 2006 hopes to trigger a referendum that would abolish the office of mayor and instead create a leader and cabinet system of local government. [Jill Sherman, [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article627367.ece "Voters aim to throw out mayors they say are acting like dictators"] . The Times. London (UK): Sep 4, 2006. pg. 8]

References

External links

* [http://www.thisishartlepool.co.uk/democracy/stuartdrummond.asp Profile]
* The Rubber Chicken - [http://www.n-chicken.net/features/drummond-interview.shtml Stuart Drummond, Mayor of Hartlepool, UK - The Definitive Interview]