Leader of Merton Council, Councillor Stephen Alambritis, announced at this week’s full council meeting (12 April 2017) that he will be nominating Councillor Marsie Skeete as the Mayor of Merton for 2017-2018.

The Longthornton ward councillor is expected to formally take over mayoral duties from the current mayor and fellow Longthornton ward representative, Councillor Brenda Fraser, at a special mayor making ceremony on 17 May at the civic centre.

Councillor Skeete was elected to Merton Council in 2014. She works as a lecturer in English at HMP High Down Prison in Belmont.

Councillor Skeete said: “It is a great honour to have been chosen Mayor of Merton for 2017-18 and I am very much looking forward to working with our many wonderful community groups and residents in the borough over the coming year.  We are very lucky to be home to so many residents who really care about the borough and the people who live here. I appreciate the great responsibility of representing Merton. Councillor Fraser has done such a great job as first citizen of the borough over the past year and I hope to be a worthy successor.”