Sally Beardsworth for Mayor of Northampton

Speech by Andrew Simpson delivered to Annual Council Meeting of Northampton Borough Council on Thu 19th May 2005

Mayor it gives me great pleasure to second the motion that Sally Beardsworth be appointed Mayor of Northampton for the coming year.

I first got to know Sally 12 years ago when she returned to this Council in the Kingsthorpe by-election. I remember her being particularly anxious about how her photo came out on a leaflet, such that we had it commercially printed rather than the usual duplicated version. And I can see why as she brought a true touch of glamour to the campaign something I believe she will do so to the Mayoralty this year.

I was Deputy Leader of the Lib Dem Group whilst Sally was leader between 1997-2002. It was a stressful time as we had two councillors defect - one hot footed it to the Labour party another went to another planet, but Sally maintained her cool and in fact I think the Group came out stronger to take additional seats in the following elections as a result of it.

But it really does seems as she gets over one challenge we give her another as in 2001 she ended up being the sole Liberal Democrat Councillor on the County. No easy task - well at least she could hold a group meeting in a phone box and needed only look in a mirror for advice. But actually she earned respect, and built bridges with the other parties - often getting lots more press coverage than the size of our representation would have allowed - and she even managed to convince one Councillor to change sides.

As Richard mentioned Sally is the 11th woman to be mayor of our town - but she is the first Woman Liberal Mayor - and only the 2nd Liberal Mayor since just after the Second World War (1951).

We've heard about Sally being born and brought up in Cheltenham and there she used to work as a hairdresser at an establishment called Barnard's of Mayfair - sounds posh very Cheltenham doesn't it !

Being a hairdresser must have been good training for a wood-be politician - it certainly requires listening skills, understanding and patience…. And being good at picking up the latest gossip!

It has also helped the Lib Dems as Sally has attempted to provide grooming advice and dress sense for Richard Church and others. I'm not sure she has always succeeded - although Richard does normally get a hair cut when Sally starts to nag.

She has an even greater challenge this year as the new Lib Dem leader doesn't much hair for her to go on…. although there is certainly still plenty to work on regarding his dress sense.

Sally moved to Northampton in 1967 living in digs in Kingsthorpe

She gave up the hairdressing to work as a nurse at the General Hospital. She says hairdressing and being a nurse are quite similar in some ways - all about caring for somebody's needs, listening to them and responding to them. And certainly I've seen some haircuts that look like they were the result of some hospital treatment.

Following the General Hospital Sally worked as a Marie Curie nurse - being with people who are terminally ill - comforting and seeing them through times of great pain. This takes a great capacity for caring which is just like Sally.

Only this week we hear about Kylie Minogue having breast cancer and it came as a shock to many of us when Sally herself became ill with the disease last year. But it was typical of her to make light of the situation. Joking about it - naming her tumour Kilroy-Silk - because it was something lurking and unpleasant/orange.

'She says you have to joke about things like this…' In that sense I think Sally truly does follow the policy of 'laughing in the face of adversity'.

Sally met Mike whilst out with friends at the Whitehills Squash Club and this August they will celebrate 20 years together. Sally told me how she took her sons Daniel and Christopher for a drive in the car to tell them Mike had proposed to her as 'being men they couldn't then escape she said'.

Mike spent 22 years in the RAF and more recently 21 years in Foreign and Commonwealth Office working in the cabinet office. I'm not sure if he has had tea with Tony at any point or can enlighten us as to what goes on behind closed doors ?

Mike and I share the same day as our birthday and in a week's time we will both be reaching a landmark - I'm trying not to think about mine but Mike has every reason to celebrate his as he will be retiring. My colleagues (Cllr Glynane in particular) pull my leg about the Chronicle and Echo at the last General Election referring to me as having 'boyish good looks' - I don't know about that but I think it does apply to Mike - he seems to look younger each year - it's obviously something about being born on May 26th!

Sally and Mike it seems are always doing work on their home and garden - in fact I think Sally changes the interior design on their home more regularly than some of us change shoes . So be warned she has her eyes on the Mayors Parlour …. who knows what it will become

I know Mike has been a constant support for Sally over the years and he will make an excellent Mayor's consort.

I must just refer to the recent elections and a couple of points that struck me - one was, as colleagues know, that Sally was constantly pressing for more work to be done in Kingsthorpe - saying her result was not guaranteed.

She is quite right that we councillors should never take our support for granted…but with a long history of electing Lib Dems we did feel that Kingsthorpe was perhaps one of our safer areas.

Yet I went canvassing with Sally and it didn't seem to matter where we were or who we called on there was always somebody who Sally knew. Who she could relate to in terms of what they did, their family history or some case work she had done.

In fact it went along the lines of "Hello I'm Andrew Simpson can I count on your support- oh yes we will be voting for Sally Beardsworth… yes but I'm Andrew Simpson…oh we might vote for you but we will certainly be voting for Sally…

And the other thing that struck me was on the rare occasion we found somebody who wasn't supporting Sally. Sally would always explain why they weren't - 'they've not been too well', 'they having problems at home', 'they've just always been very aggressive', 'I never did like them anyway'…….I'm glad for Les Marriott's sake we never made it to his door.

Richard spoke of Sally being referred to as 'dear leader' when leading the Borough Group and I'm glad to say this has now moved on and now, I don't know whether she knows that her colleagues now referred to her as 'Lady Bearsdworth'.

This reflects the trust and affection we have for Sally and indeed the trust and affection she has earned from all quarters over the years.

Sally seems to know most of what's going on, where, regardless of which political group, officer or councillor or local dignitary is involved. A quite fitting ability I think for our new mayor.

For me personally Sally has been a real support and friend at times of personal strife and she always has a gut feeling for what is the right thing to do.

I know I speak for all of us to say how deeply proud are of her and pleased that she is now to become Mayor of Northampton.