GARY Millar, a well known face on the city's music and social scene, will on Wednesday take the first step to becoming the city's Lord Mayor.
The Scottish Old Swan councillor, who defected from the Lib Dems to ruling Labour last year, is being put forward for the job of Deputy Lord Mayor at the city council's annual meeting on May 23.
The Deputy Lord Mayor traditionally steps up to the main job after a year's “apprenticeship” in the number two role.
It will be seen as a spectacular rise in the political career of Cllr Millar, best known for his involvement with the Parr Street Studios.
Gary Millar, Left
He became a city councillor only in 2008, the year Liverpool celebrated being European Capitol of Culture. At one time he was seen as a potential leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on the City Council. But as Government funding to Liverpool was slashed by £150m, he quit the Lib Dems and defected to Labour.
Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr Sharon Sullivan will on Wednesday (May 23) – her 55th birthday - be sworn in as new Lord Mayor.
Cllr Sullivan has a twin sister, Sheila, and her mum was once a close friend of the legendary Bessie Braddock.
One of Cllr Sullivan’s priorities during her year as Lord Mayor will be to make sure the role of dockworkers and merchant seamen and women in Liverpool is better recognised. She has chosen the Merchant Navy, Dock Workers and the Sea Cadets as three of her four charities.
The new Lord Mayor said: “All the men in my family, including my father, worked on the docks and travelled out to sea and I think there needs to be more acknowledgement of the huge contribution dockworkers and merchant seamen and women have made to our city. That’s something I’m very keen to focus on during my time as Lord Mayor.”
Sharon Sullivan Takes To The Mic
Millar is not the only councillor with musical connections. In 2008 Councillor Sullivan sang on stage at the Philharmonic Hall with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra at a special concert to honour the city’s best pub singers. She also scooped the Councillor Idol award in 2009 for her rendition of Cole Porter’s Every Time We Say Goodbye in aid of the Lord Mayor’s Charity Appeal.
