Colleagues elect 'Mayor Wonky Pants' as new ceremonial leader

Councillors in Trafford have elected mother-of-six Coun Amy Whyte as their new ceremonial mayor - affectionately dubbed ‘mayor Wonky Pants’ by friends and colleagues. She was installed at last night’s (Wednesday May 22) annual council meeting, replacing outgoing mayor Coun Dolores O’Sullivan, who has carried out 225 engagements in her mayoral year.

Coun Whyte takes up the role alongside her partner and new mayoress Rev Sarah Hooks, who is also a church minister. The Wonky Pants tag came about because prior to her becoming a councillor, it was her Twitter handle.

It was changed when she was first elected to the authority in 2017, representing the Broadheath ward where she lives with her family. She has served on the children and young people’s scrutiny committee, core scrutiny, has previously chaired the standards and the safety at sports ground committees and has been vice chair of the employment committee.

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Wythenshawe-born Coun Whyte attended Altrincham Grammar School before moving to Sale 16 years ago. She worked for an insurance company in Altrincham for several years before leaving to start a family and complete her degree.

Coun Whyte and Ms Hooks - have six children between them, aged between four and 15. As a Broadheath councillor she has worked closely with the Broadheath Partnership, Stamford Brook Residents Association and the newly-formed Friends of Woodstock Park.

She also serves on the governing body for Broadheath Primary School and was the chair of Tyntesfield Primary School PTA for several years. In addition Coun Whyte, works at The Pavilion Project in Bowdon Vale working with adults with disabilities, a role that she is 'passionate' about.

She can generally be found cheering on Mersey Valley U11 Panthers junior football team or chaperoning backstage for Manchester Musical Youth or Stalder Academy in Sale.

Ahead of the council meeting, she told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I’m really excited to be embarking on the mayoral year. It’s a real honour and privilege to be able to take on this role. Trafford is an amazing place to live and work and I am so proud of our diverse and varied communities. I look forward to visiting and celebrating as many people and events as I can.”

Following her installation, she told colleagues: “[Being called] Mayor Wonky Pants is something I can live with. It’s an honour and a privilege to be elected as the new mayor.” And addressing council leader Coun Tom Ross directly she joked: “Tom, you have made this [being a councillor] look like fun. If at any point it isn’t, I know where your office and I will be there.”

Coun Whyte’s charities are FOP Friends - which campaigns around FOP an ultra-rare genetic disorder which turns muscles and soft tissue into bone - and Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY). Coun Jane Brophy was also installed as deputy mayor with her husband John Brophy acting as her consort.