My Colleague for the Neville’s Cross Division on the County Council and City Councillor for Crossgate and Framwelgate Councillor Grenville Holland, was yesterday elected Mayor of Durham. I wish him well for his year in office.

This morning the Northern Echo referred to Grenville as the last Mayor of Durham City. This is, of course, untrue as provision has been made by the Government for the mayoralty to continue under a Charter Trust arrangement from 1 April next year.

The Charter Trust will be controlled by the members elected to the County Council within the area of the current City Council (22 in total for the time being, 15 Lib Dem and 7 Labour) who will elect a mayor annually from among their number. All the civic dignities, such as the Mayor’s Bodyguard, the Mace Bearer and the Sword Bearer will continue along with the pomp and ceremony that goes with it.

Of course, it will cost to keep this going (I have heard the sum of £80K mentioned as the cost of ‘running’ the mayor) and a small supplementary amount will have to be added to the council tax in Durham City to cover it, but everyone I have spoken to is more than happy to pay a few pence per week to continue our centuries-old traditions.

The New 27 member Lib Dem Group met for the first time yesterday evening to have a preliminary discussion on the way forward to oppose Labour at County Hall.

I was delighted to be re-elected unanimously as the Group Leader. In accepting the position, I committed the Lib Dems to be a vigorous and constructive opposition and one which will challenge the ruling Labour Group at every turn.

The key issues in the coming year are around the transition to the new unitary which is due to start on 1 April 2009. The arrangements for working with town and parish councils and for the proposed Area Action Forums (or whatever they are to be called) will be key to making the council work effectively with local communities.

And of course, we in Durham City must get on with the process of creating a Town Council here.

Exciting times!