Gosport council leader Mark Hook elected as the town's mayor

Councillor Mark Hook, leader of Gosport Borough Council, was confirmed as the borough’s mayor-elect at a full council meeting last night.

Cllr Hook, who is currently the deputy mayor, is set to leave his post as council leader to be replaced by his deputy, Cllr Graham Burgess.

The Liberal Democrats put forward Councillor Robert Hylands, but he was outvoted after Labour Party members abstained.

Speaking for Cllr Hook ahead of the vote, fellow Conservative Cllr Stephen Philpott said: ‘I have known Mark Hook for the best part of 40 years.

‘In that time he has been a truly outstanding servant to this borough, both as a councillor and someone who has done tireless charity work.

‘It’s rare that we get to elect somebody with such experience.’

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Peter Chegwyn, who nominated Cllr Hylands, disagreed with Conservatives and said the role should go to someone less controversial.

‘Cllr Hylands is a long-standing member of the council and popular with the electorate,’ he explained.

‘He’s a well-known businessman and always pays his rates and rents on time – he’s uncontroversial.

‘The mayor should be someone who the wider community can accept.’

Following the election of Cllr Hook, the outgoing mayor of Gosport, Cllr Zoe Huggins, was re-elected as deputy mayor.

The move comes after the Privett representative had her 12 months in office disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, meaning she missed out on many opportunities and events in the mayoral position.

She said it was a ‘huge honour’ to be elected once again.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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