BOURNEMOUTH’S last borough mayor, Derek Borthwick, has pleaded with fellow councillors not to take his portrait from the wall of the mayor’s parlour.

“Don’t chuck it in the bin” he told a meeting of the charter trustees who have been considering re-arranging portraits in the mayor and mayoresses parlours at the civic centre.

“If I warranted going up in the first place I really don’t think I should be removed,” said Cllr Borthwick, “it seems totally unfair to me.”

His plea won the support of Cllr George Farquhar, but nobody else and will now be moved to the mayoresses parlour.

Cllr Borthwick, who was the last borough mayor in 2018-19, immediately prior to reorganisation and the creation of the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, said that being the last mayor of the borough after 127 years, ought to earn him a place on the mayor’s parlour walls.

But Cllr David Kelsey, who has overseen the discussion about the portraits said there simply was not enough room for everyone and that those whose portraits were displayed had to earn their place by being ‘notable’ – the last mayoral portrait prior to Cllr Borthwick, being Cllr Betty Bicknell, who got her spot in the parlour for being the first lady mayor in the early 1960s.

The same Charter Trustees meeting also voted to “adopt” the former Bournemouth Borough Council yellow and blue flag which it will use at various Bournemouth civic functions.

Also being arranged is a joint meeting with Poole Charter Trustees to decide how best to work together in future – sorting out the details of who does what, where.

It will be followed by a meeting with Christchurch which may also include some of the surrounding parish councils as well as the BCP council chair’s office.

Cllr Phil Broadhead said the meetings will sort of protocols and make sure nobody “steps on each other’s toes.”

Cllr Farquhar said his experience was that at some events, where more than one mayor attended, it often led to what he described as “consternation” about the pecking order not only among mayors but other roles as well.

“It’s incredibly important that the protocols for different offices are observed” he said.

Bournemouth charter mayor Cllr Bob Lawton said he believed any changes would only amount to ‘fine tuning’.

“We’re not going to smash it and rebuild it,” he said.