Speculation mounts ahead of the Mayoral election

©Press Eye Ltd Northern Ireland
Patricia Murray,Associate Production Director for the Land of Giants which will take place on the Titanic Slipway June 30th.
Mandatory Credit-
Picture by BrianThompsonPresseye.com — ©Press Eye Ltd Northern Ireland Patricia Murray,Associate Production Director for the Land of Giants which will take place on the Titanic Slipway June 30th. Mandatory Credit- Picture by BrianThompsonPresseye.com

It’s expected that current Deputy Mayor, DUP Councillor Margaret Tolerton, will take over the top post from the outgoing Mayor, Alderman William Leathem, making her the first female Mayor in over a decade.

While the top post is all but a foregone conclusion, the post of Deputy Mayor remains up for grabs.

Whoever is elected to the Deputy Mayorship next week will become the final ever Mayor of Lisburn City Council prior to its amalgamation with Castlereagh Borough Council in 2015.

As always, negotiations have been ongoing between the parties on Lisburn City Council, with deals being done to secure the Chairmanships and Vice-Chairmanships of the various Council committees, however, many councillors are likely to be vying for the Deputy post.

The DUP are the largest, and ultimately the controlling party, on Lisburn City Council and it is expected that they will hold onto the Deputy Mayor’s post this year, meaning that the DUP will hold the top post for the last year of the life of Lisburn City Council.

The parties have refused to comment on the delicate negotiation process, however, sources close to the proceedings have indicated that once again this year, the DUP will take the top two spots on the Council.

Several names have been mooted as possibilities to take on the Deputy Mayor’s seat, with speculation that the post could be filled by one of the younger DUP councillors.