Content deleted Content added
Copy edit including the addition of templates and the removal of one dead external link |
→Mayor of Hartlepool: unsourced/unencyclopaedic |
||
Line 24:
Drummond stood for election to Mayor of the Borough of Hartlepool, a [[unitary authority]] in the north east of [[England]], in [[Hartlepool Council election, 2002|the 2002 election]]. He was originally put up for election by the football club, as a publicity stunt for their mascot and the football club.<ref name="GuardianInPraise">{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/nov/19/in-praise-of-hangus-the-monkey-editorial | title=In praise of … H'Angus the Monkey | publisher=Guardian | date=November 19, 2012 | accessdate=November 20, 2012 | location=London}}</ref> Drummond took part in no serious campaigning and his only promise was for the council to provide free bananas for school children. He was the only candidate absent from the various local forums and question and answers sessions held during the campaign.{{Citation needed|date=March 2009}} Unexpectedly Drummond was narrowly elected, beating the second place [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] candidate by 5,696 to 5,174.<ref name="Voters snub parties in mayor polls">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2338527.stm|title=Voters snub parties in mayor polls|publisher=BBC|date=8 October 2002|accessdate=9 May 2012}}</ref> The result was greeted with widespread hilarity, attracting attention far beyond Hartlepool. Canada's ''[[National Post]]'' newspaper ran the headline "Monkey wins mayoralty, regains human form".<ref>National Post news services, "Monkey wins mayoralty, regains human form" (Toronto edition headline)/"Monkey mascot wins $121,800 job as mayor" (all but Toronto edition headline), ''National Post'' (Canada), 4 May 2002, archived online at [http://www.fpinfomart.ca FPinfomart.ca], $4.95 fee to view full article.</ref> Following his narrow win, a "furious" [[Peter Mandelson]], who was MP for Hartlepool, forbade Drummond to wear the monkey suit again.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/2011/take-five/take-five-peter-barron/|title=Take Five: Peter Barron - Journalism News from HoldtheFrontPage|newspaper=HoldTheFrontPage|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-28}}</ref>
After his election, Drummond stood down as mascot. Drummond failed to fulfil his commitment to ensure the council provide free bananas due to a shortage of funds, although he worked with Hartlepool [[Primary Care Trust]] to ensure fresh fruit was available in all schools.<ref>Peter Hetherington, [https://www.theguardian.com/society/2005/apr/27/guardiansocietysupplement.politics ''Gorilla tactics'']. The Guardian, 27 April 2005</ref>
On 5 May 2005, Drummond was re-elected as the mayor of Hartlepool with an increased majority of 10,205.<ref name="Winning 'monkey' mayor gains wife">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/vote_2005/england/4522687.stm|title=Winning 'monkey' mayor gains wife|publisher=BBC|date=6 May 2005|accessdate=9 May 2012}}</ref> On 4 June 2009, Drummond was re-elected for a third term.<ref name=BBC_2009/>
| |||