Wendy Simon is a Labour Party politician who exercised the powers and duties of the office of Mayor of Liverpool from 2020 to 2021. Mayor Joe Anderson temporarily stepped aside in December 2020. Although Anderson formally remained as Mayor until the end of his term, Simon performed Anderson’s duties.[2] She also served as Deputy Mayor of Liverpool from 2018 to 2021.

Wendy Simon
Mayor of Liverpool
Acting, De facto
In office
10 December 2020 – 10 May 2021
DeputyHerself
Preceded byJoe Anderson
Succeeded byJoanne Anderson
Deputy Mayor of Liverpool
In office
May 2018 – 10 May 2021
MayorJoe Anderson
Herself (Acting)
Preceded byAnn O'Byrne
Succeeded byJane Corbett
Liverpool City Councillor
for Kensington and Fairfield
Assumed office
3 May 2007
Preceded byRichard Marbrow (LD)
Majority1,323 (62.0%)
Personal details
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabour
Children1[1]
Websitewendyformayor.org.uk

Career

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A senior social worker in Knowsley,[3] and a Unison union official, Simon has been a councillor for Kensington and Fairfield on Liverpool City Council since 2007.[4] She is a trustee of the Everyman Playhouse, Liverpool.[5]

In 2021, she was shortlisted as one of three candidates to be the Labour Party's candidate for Mayor of Liverpool, alongside former Deputy Mayor Ann O'Byrne and Lord Mayor of Liverpool Anna Rothery, following the announcement by incumbent Joe Anderson that he would not run for re-election. Simon and the other shortlisted candidates were subsequently told that they would be reinterviewed, sparking claims of a stitch-up by the Labour Party establishment.[6] Afterwards all three were dismissed as candidates and told not to reapply.[7]

References

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  1. ^ Topping, Alexandra (13 January 2021). "Wendy Simon: the interim mayor running Liverpool from her living room". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  2. ^ "Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson steps aside amid bribery probe". BBC News. 10 December 2020. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  3. ^ Thorp, Liam (10 December 2020). "Acting Mayor of Liverpool Wendy Simon speaks for first time after Joe Anderson steps aside". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 3 January 2020.
  4. ^ Thorp, Liam (10 December 2020). "Who is Wendy Simon? The woman stepping in to run Liverpool as interim leader after Joe Anderson stands aside". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Wendy Simon". Everyman Playhouse, Liverpool. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  6. ^ Thorp, Liam (17 February 2021). "Liverpool Labour Mayor candidates will be interviewed again". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  7. ^ McGuinness, Alan (23 February 2021). "Labour reopens candidate selection process in race for Liverpool mayor". Sky News. Retrieved 24 February 2021.

Further reading

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