Lydia Simmons
Encyclopedia
Lydia Emelda Simmons is a Labour Party
local politician in Slough
, who had the distinction of being the first black, woman Mayor
in England
.
She served as a Councillor on Slough Borough Council
1979-1994 and from 1999 until 2007. She was the longest-serving member of the Council, by the end of her tenure in 2007.
In 1983-1984 Lydia Simmons was Deputy Mayor of Slough. In 1984-1985 she served as Mayor (see List of Mayors of Slough). From 1985-1994 she was chair of the council committee responsible for housing.
After the introduction of cabinet government, in place of the traditional committee based administration, she was a cabinet commissioner 1999-2004 (Social Exclusion 1999-2002 and Neighbourhood Services 2002-2004). Simmons became shadow commissioner for Housing, after Labour went into opposition in 2004.
She was (in 2006) a member of the Board of People 1st Slough, the body which from January 2006 ran public housing in Slough as an arms length management organisation
(ALMO).
Simmons was the Labour candidate in Central Ward. She was unexpectedly defeated by the Conservative candidate, Eshaq Khan, in circumstances which led to an election petition being presented challenging the result. An election commissioner, on 18 March 2008, ruled the election void because of registration and postal vote fraud.
Simmons did not contest the by-election caused by the court decision.
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
local politician in Slough
Slough
Slough is a borough and unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Royal Berkshire, England. The town straddles the A4 Bath Road and the Great Western Main Line, west of central London...
, who had the distinction of being the first black, woman Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
She served as a Councillor on Slough Borough Council
Slough Borough Council
Slough Borough Council is the local authority for the Borough of Slough, in the South East England Region of the United Kingdom.This article deals mainly with the unitary authority which was first elected, on a shadow basis, in 1997. It became the local authority for Slough on 1 April 1998...
1979-1994 and from 1999 until 2007. She was the longest-serving member of the Council, by the end of her tenure in 2007.
In 1983-1984 Lydia Simmons was Deputy Mayor of Slough. In 1984-1985 she served as Mayor (see List of Mayors of Slough). From 1985-1994 she was chair of the council committee responsible for housing.
After the introduction of cabinet government, in place of the traditional committee based administration, she was a cabinet commissioner 1999-2004 (Social Exclusion 1999-2002 and Neighbourhood Services 2002-2004). Simmons became shadow commissioner for Housing, after Labour went into opposition in 2004.
She was (in 2006) a member of the Board of People 1st Slough, the body which from January 2006 ran public housing in Slough as an arms length management organisation
Arms Length Management Organisation
Arms Length Management Organisations or arm's length management organisations are UK not-for-profit companies set up by a local authorities primarily to manage and improve all or part of their housing stock. Ownership of the housing stock itself normally stays with the local authority...
(ALMO).
Disputed 2007 election
At the Slough Council election, 2007Slough Council election, 2007
Elections to the Borough Council in Slough, England, were held on 3 May 2007. One third of the council was up for election. This was the 122nd Slough general local authority election since Slough became a local government unit in 1863.The 2007 election was to fill fourteen seats for the 2007-2011...
Simmons was the Labour candidate in Central Ward. She was unexpectedly defeated by the Conservative candidate, Eshaq Khan, in circumstances which led to an election petition being presented challenging the result. An election commissioner, on 18 March 2008, ruled the election void because of registration and postal vote fraud.
It was only when Labour party activists, surprised by the Conservative victory in an election which had otherwise been a success for Labour, pressed for an investigation that the fraud was discovered, the hearing was told.
Commissioner Mr Richard Mawry QC said: "The only reasons they came to light at all were the incompetence of the fraudsters and the blatant nature of the frauds.
Simmons did not contest the by-election caused by the court decision.