Career
Doncaster became one of the first authorities to adopt the new system for directly elected mayors. In this position, he appoints his own cabinet from among the Councillors.
The mayor has been criticised several times in the satirical magazine Private Eye for supposed hypocrisy. In one alleged case he took his children out of school during term time to take them to the Glastonbury Festival despite announcing measures to curb unauthorised school absences with fines and possible legal proceedings. He has also been likened to Mayor Quimby from the Simpsons.
Martin Winter won re-election in 2005 on the day of the General Election against a split opposition.
Following the local elections of May 2008, Martin Winter declared that he would govern as an independent mayor, with the support of two of his cabinet members. The Labour Party gave him an ultimatum to back down. The situation then became further confused as he signalled his intention to remain in the Labour Party, but not in its Council group. At the same time, the Council was faced with two reports from government inspectors, accusing it of serious failures.
On 29 May 2008, Martin Winter and one other councillor was expelled from the Labour Party. Only the leader of the three-member Community Group and one Liberal Democrat, who was suspended from that party, joined his new cabinet. The members of Doncaster Council supported a motion of no confidence in Mayor Winter on 14 July 2008 by 42 votes to 8 with 7 abstentions. However, Mayor Winter has refused to resign and pledged to see out his term of office.
Read more about this topic: Martin Winter (mayor)
Famous quotes containing the word career:
“Like the old soldier of the ballad, I now close my military career and just fade away, an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty. Goodbye.”
—Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964)
“From a hasty glance through the various tests I figure it out that I would be classified in Group B, indicating “Low Average Ability,” reserved usually for those just learning to speak the English Language and preparing for a career of holding a spike while another man hits it.”
—Robert Benchley (1889–1945)
“Clearly, society has a tremendous stake in insisting on a woman’s natural fitness for the career of mother: the alternatives are all too expensive.”
—Ann Oakley (b. 1944)