Ex-Gosport council leader Mark Hook nominated for town's highest honour - but Lib Dems plan veto

Gosport Borough councillor Graham Burgess, leader of the Conservative opposition, has nominated ex-council leader Mark Hook to be an honorary freeman.

The title of honorary freeman is a mark of distinction reflecting the eminence of a person who rendered significant or valuable services to the borough.

SEE ALSO: CCTV cameras set up as Portsmouth City Council hopes to catch fly-tippers red-handed

Cllr Burgess said: ‘The reason I’ve done it is that not only because he worked 30 years as a councillor but all the other things he’s done as well.

‘He’s been the chairman of St John’s Ambulance, chairman of the Thorngate Trust which has lots of properties of people in the borough and he took Gosport Borough FC to Wembley.

‘Because these appointments are not political and bearing in mind we’ve had Bob Whitbread who only did eight years, he wasn’t a chairman or anything. Mark was a leader for 13 years and a councillor of 30 so he thoroughly deserves it.

‘This is for someone who has done service to the borough, it is not a political appointment, I think he has done more than enough to justify the award of freedom of the borough.’

In May last year councillor Peter Chegwyn, leader of the council, called for an audit into financial dealings carried out by members of the previous conservative administration, including Mr Hook.

Cllr Chewyn said: ‘The Conservatives are not just nominating him to be an alderman, but a freeman – which is the highest honour the borough can bestow.

‘The Liberal Democrat group will not support Mark Hook, we do not believe he is a fit and proper person to receive Gosport’s highest honour.

‘Two-thirds of the council have to vote for him – if the Liberal Democrat group does not support him, and we won’t, he doesn’t get the honour.

‘We’ve made three Conservative ex-councillors honorary Alderman in the past four months. We’ve been very fair but Mark Hook is a step too far, I think most people in the town would agree with us that he’s not a fit and proper person to get the borough’s highest honour.’