Yahoo News Tributes paid to Dame Norma Redfearn after announcement she will step down as North Tyneside Mayor
Tributes have been paid to elected mayor of North Tyneside Dame Norma Redfearn after she announced she will step down next year.
Dame Norma has held the position of Mayor since 2013, wrestling the mayoralty from the then-Tory incumbent Linda Arkley. The Labour stalwart has since been re-elected to the post twice.
However, Dame Norma announced via an email to party members this week that she will step aside in 2025 and the next 12 months will be her last as mayor. In a separate statement, she said it had been “an honour to serve” and thanked the residents of North Tyneisde for her years in office.
Fairwells to Dame Norma have come from across the region and the political spectrum.
The Conservative leader of Northumberland County Council, Coun Glen Sanderson said: “I have found Norma an immensely wise and yet compassionate soul who has brought a degree of level-headedness and ambition for the North East as a whole.
“Even though our politics are 10,000 miles apart I think, we have gotten on very well and I thank her for her contribution to North Tyneside and the North East.”
Labour leader of Gateshead Council, Coun Martin Gannon said: “I am devastated at the news. She has been a real leader in the region. When we had to set up the combined authority, it was unanimous that she was the right person to be interim mayor.
“I am devastated that we have to go on without her but she has been an incredibly strong leader and she has laid strong foundations for the whole region.”
The elected Mayor recently saw her party strengthen its grip in North Tyneside, growing from 47 councillors to 51 out of 60 in the local elections earlier this month. This included a historic win in St Mary’s ward, where Labour secured its first-ever councillor in a traditionally blue part of North Tyneside.
Labour’s Kim McGuinness, North East Mayor, said: “Mayor Dame Norma Redfearn is a leader like no other, she’s been a friend and mentor to me for many years and will be a huge miss to frontline politics. In every room, Norma is the one who reminds everyone why they’re there – for the people.
“She’s led true transformation in North Tyneside and has been at the forefront of securing the devolution of more power to our region. Her legacy will be seen in the thousands of households she worked so hard to support. I know she’ll continue to be a huge inspiration in North Tyneside and across the region in her retirement.”
Leader of the North Tyneside Conservative opposition, Coun Liam Bones added: “Dame Norma is a formidable political figure, she has diligently served the residents of North Tyneside for over a decade.
“During her time in office, Norma has worked tirelessly on behalf of the residents she represents, and her leadership throughout the pandemic was a particular highlight. There is no denying the impact Norma has had on North Tyneside.
“From the seafront cycle path to the North Shields Transport Hub and the Rake Lane Dutch-style roundabout to the Howard Street cultural quarter, she has left a lasting legacy across the borough."
Coun Bones concluded: “It is now essential that the Labour Party ensures the bunfight to replace Dame Norma does not overshadow the important work the council needs to get on with in the next 12 months. We wish Norma well in the future."
