New history-making mayor to focus on inclusion

10 hours ago

Joao SantosLocal Democracy reporter

News image — Pat Bruce-Browne has made history as Ipswich's first black gay woman to be elected as mayor

Ipswich Borough Council A woman wearing a red civil mayoral gown, white lace collar, glasses, hoop earrings and a red and black headdress smiles at the camera. — Pat Bruce-Browne has made history as Ipswich's first black gay woman to be elected as mayor

A new history-making mayor said she felt "very emotional" after being elected and promised to focus on "acceptance and inclusion".

Pat Bruce-Browne has become Ipswich's new mayor after being voted in by her colleagues during Wednesday evening's borough council meeting.

The vote marked the first time a black gay woman took on the ceremonial role, something she said she was "beyond proud" to do.

She said she was looking forward to meeting more people across the town.

Joao Santos/Local Democracy Reporting Service A civil ceremony is held where two women are dressed in red mayoral robes with white lace collar and gold chain around their shoulders that rest against their chest. One of the women is looking to the left of the camera while the other woman, standing behind, looks toward her and smiles. — Cathy Frost, left, was also elected as deputy mayor during the meeting

"There's so many communities and so many community groups that I haven't met yet that do so much for Ipswich," Bruce-Browne told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"I'm hoping to bring inclusion, happiness, bigging up Ipswich town.

"Everyone keeps dogging it down.

"Ipswich has some very, very good points and we need to harvest that.

"We're not going to bring in the people that we want to bring in, so we can't dog our town and then moan when no-one comes into the town to spend the money.

"We've got to embrace our town so people come in, spend money and help build our town."

A man with short dark hair standing in front of a building. He wears a black suit, white shirt and red tie with a blue stripe on it. There is a gold chain hanging from his shoulders to represent his role as a mayor. — Previous mayor of Ipswich, Stefan Long, was one of the youngest in the town's history since the role was created in 1836

Elected alongside her as deputy mayor was Cathy Frost, the ward member for Hollywells, in the south-east of the town.

The year ahead will see the new mayor, who arrived in Ipswich with her wife in 2014, raising money for the ActivLives and BME Suffolk Support Group charities.

In an emotional speech to a packed town hall, she said her parents, who arrived during the Windrush period to make a better life for themselves, would have been proud.

"My parents would have been brimming with pride and a sense of achievement to see me now being elected to a town as wonderful as Ipswich," she said.

"I will work hard to encourage tolerance, acceptance, and inclusion for all and make everyone who calls Ipswich their home proud to do so."

Stefan Long, her predecessor, said his tenure as one of the youngest mayors in 200 years had shown him what the town was capable of.

"Ipswich is a town that cares, it's a town that shows up for one another," he added.

Do you have a story suggestion for Suffolk? Contact us below.

Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

Stories like this