[jaysay]

Well when I first got involved in politics in Ossy there wasn't a Mayor (think there was a mayor in Accrington at the same time) there was a chairman of the council, which seemed to alternate between political parties on the basis of time served, more like a thank you for the unpaid (yes unpaid) work they had done for the town.

Then the reorganisation came in during the early 70s, when Hyndburn was born, at first the same principals were implied, If I remember rightly the first mayor was Wallace Haines (labour) there was also an unwritten rule, that if the Mayor elect was up for re-election prior to his/her year of office, he/she would be unopposed, that went through the window in 1987 I think when Labour stood a candidate against Mayor elect Bill Parkinson.

I still think that the position of Mayor must come from the political system, nothing else would really work, when you actually think about it.