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Labour Councillors choose new leader

Cllr Dan Yates
Cllr Dan Yates

Brighton and Hove Labour Councillors select Cllr Dan Yates to lead their minority administration into the 2019 City Council Elections.

FIRST elected to the City Council in 2015, Cllr Yates, the member for Moulsecoomb and Bevendean, was elected unopposed, to take over from Cllr Warren Morgan at the Labour Councillor’s AGM this evening.

Cllr Morgan who led the Labour Groups of Councillors since 2013, has been Leader of the City Council since Labour beat the Greens to form the political administration of the council in May 2015.

Speaking following the AGM, Cllr Yates, said: “It is a massive honour to be asked to take on this crucial role for the Party and for the City at such a crucial time. I will work hard to repay the trust that my fellow Labour Councillors have placed me, as we continue to work as a very close team on behalf of residents right across the city. I also want to pay tribute to Warren, who has led the council with vision and determination, and who fully deserves Labour Group’s thanks for all he has helped achieve over the last three years.

“The challenges that this Council faces from ongoing Tory government cuts to funding and increasing demand for services for the most vulnerable should not be underestimated, but we have the determination to continue to deliver for local people, to improve our city and make it a place where people want to live and work. 

“Over the next few months Labour will begin developing the manifesto that we plan to help us take majority control of the City Council next May, for the first time in nearly 20 years.

“We will be fighting to win the hearts, minds and trust of every resident of the city and, given the great Labour results across the city in 2017, it is clear that residents have a growing confidence that Labour are best placed to deliver for them.

“Whether it is our innovative scheme for 1000 new affordable homes to be delivered through a partnership with Hyde homes, or our dogged determination to raise recycling rates from the depths of Green Party failures, residents have seen that despite Tory austerity we have real ambition for the city, and have backed us time and time again at elections over recent years.

“For May 2019 we will have a new manifesto that every community across the whole city will be able to support and, with our record Party membership, we know we have the talent and the numbers to gain the council majority to help us deliver on it.

“We will take nothing for granted between now and May 2019, and will be talking to as many residents as we can in coming months, so that with your backing we can continue to build a future for the city that all can share in.

“Labour has always been ambitious for the city.  And we look to the city to back that ambition.”

Cllr Warren Morgan
Cllr Warren Morgan

Leader of the Council, Cllr Warren Morgan, who will formally step down as leader on May 17, said: “I’ve known and worked with Dan for very many years and I’m delighted he has been elected by the Labour and Co-operative Group to lead them into the local elections a year from now. He’s someone with strong co-operative values and brings a wealth of experience to the role, including chairing the Health and Wellbeing Board for the past three years. I wish him the very best as Leader of the Labour and Co-operative Group, one of the best jobs in city politics, and he has my full support in succeeding me as Leader of the Council on May 17th.”

The meeting also confirmed Cllr Gill Mitchell as Deputy Leader and Cllr Les Hamilton as the Deputy Leader (Finance).  Cllr Yates is expected (as Leader of the largest group on the Council) to commence his leadership role on May 18, after the endorsement of the Annual Meeting of the City Council.

PREVIEW: ARTIST ROOMS – Gilbert & George

Gilbert & George are a Turner Prize-winning artist partnership, who have created art and shared their lives together for fifty years.

Gilbert & George EXISTERS 1984. ARTISTS ROOMS Tate and National Galleries of Scotland. Acquired jointly through The d’Offay Donation with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Art Fund 2008. © Gilbert & George

BY presenting themselves as ‘living sculptures’ they challenge the distinction between art and life; sacrificing their separate identities and turning the notion of creativity on its head.

The playful and ambiguous works on display, drawn from the ARTIST ROOMS and Tate collections, explore universal themes including sex, faith, and identity.

Presented in association with ARTIST ROOMS (Tate and National Galleries of Scotland) with Art Fund and Arts Council England support.


Event: ARTIST ROOMS Gilbert & George

Where: Brighton Museum,  12A Pavilion Parade, Brighton BN1 1EE

When: April 28 to September 2, 2018

Cost: Free for young people (under 26) and members. For scale of other costs, click here:

REVIEW: Brighton and Hove Actually Gay Men’s Chorus – OVATION

OVATION performed by The Brighton and Hove Actually Gay Men’s Chorus, St Andrew’s Church, April 21, 2018.

GENERALLY, the title of a show is chosen carefully to both attract an audience and to give an idea of what to expect. There was no need to attract an audience as St Andrew’s Church was packed to the rafters by the many fans of the Chorus. However, the title could have been interpreted as a tad self-congratulating, but there was no problem in that respect. Not only did the Chorus and guest stars receive an Ovation, it was a well-deserved standing one at the end of both halves of the show.

With Samuel Cousins conducting for the second year, with energy and obvious enjoyment, the musical accompaniment by Simon Gray on piano and Nick Rocks on drums supported the singers without ever over-powering them.

Miss Jason
Miss Jason

With the men looking smart in bow ties and red waistcoats, the Concert opened with a medley from Mame and Hello Dolly – a fitting choice for Miss Jason to make a glorious entrance from the back of the church in a magnificent outfit which he wore with as much style as any celebrated “Dolly” would do.

Bring him home featured the rich, warm tones this Chorus is known for and included some nice dynamics. There were a few messy vocal cut offs in a section of it but I put that down to nerves as the rest of the programme was very tight.

Philip Davies lead Stars singing with feeling and looking very relieved when he had finished …it’s never easy being the first soloist! A small point to be looked at is, during the solo section, the rest of the Chorus had been directed to “look at the stars”. a lovely touch but there needs to be decision as to how high the actually sky is. A tiny matter but it’s all in the detail!

Charlotte Vaughan
Charlotte Vaughan

This concert’s guest vocalist was the beautiful soprano – Charlotte Vaughan. Trained at the Guildhall School of Music and the Royal Academy of Music. Her first song was The Winner takes it all which was an easy sing for her but she blossomed in Act 2 with Bernstein’s Glitter and be Gay which brought the audience to it’s feet with roars for more. Name to watch out for.

Somewhere only we know by Ian Hollands was delivered beautifully and his voice blended so well with the Chorus – I would have liked a longer version if anything.

One Moment in Time and Titanium were powerful Chorus items with clear lyrics (something not always apparent on pop songs) and Miss Jason should add Everything’s coming up Roses to his repertoire. It suits his showmanship and will be even better when “off the book”.

Jack Lynn’s Rule the World surprised us with such a big, full voice for some-one so charming and slight and Billy Kelly led the Chorus  strongly to close Act 1 with the ever-powerful Somebody to Love/Bohemian Rhapsody.

Raffles are always a useful way of generating more funds for the chosen charity of the evening which was Sussex Beacon this time but there are quicker ways of executing them as this one did drag on a bit in spite of Miss Jason’s quick off the mark comedy – “apparently it was a hamper-no-one told me!”

A short version of Carmen Burana led into a sassy quartet of Broadway “Babies”, Broadway hits I got Rhythm and Top Hat and a tender, melodious mashup duet by Chris Tippett and Gareth Ashley.

The anthem Rise like a Phoenix lead well into Patrick Bullock and his magnificent beard, singing Being Alive with great passion. This is the one song that I would have enjoyed just as a solo although I know this is not the choice of the Actuallys.

Nessum Dorma and Never Enough brought the concert to a rousing end and mention must be made of the excellent arrangements throughout from Samuel Cousins, Simon Gray and Jason Pimblett.

Thank you for a great night!

You can next hear the Brighton and Hove Actually Gay Mens Chorus sing at their Pride Summer Show on Friday, August 3 at St Andrews Church at 7.30pm.

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