At last week’s South Gloucestershire Council AGM, Yate North councillor Mike Drew was elected as the Chair of Council.

Proposing Mike for the role, Cllr Sue Walker said, “Nobody in this chamber is better qualified to take the Chair. He is very hot on standing orders and likes to get through business efficiently, but at the same time he always been a big advocate of open and transparent decision making and public participation.”

Sue highlighted Mike’s experience and his tireless work on numerous campaigns, however impossible the aims seemed, recalling how he had saved newts from Kingsgate Park one bucketful at a time. Taking her inspiration from Mike’s love of cricket, Sue said he would be a “safe pair of hands” as Chair.

Cllr Alan Lawrance seconded the nomination, saying that Mike was a veritable human Wikipedia on Standing Orders and chief officers will have to be watchful that they avoid errors. “But he is above all a man dedicated to South Gloucestershire and its communities.”