Should Former Conservative Councillor & Council Leader Ross Irving be given an award for services to Stoke-on-Trent?
Vote in the poll below and let us know what you think would be a fitting award for Ross in the comments.
Loading ...Read more about Ross Irving and his time serving Stoke-on-Trent, Politician reveals how he was brought under the party’s influence
38 years service deserves something in any9ones book..
Yes Ross should. He has done a lot for this city
Only if Nicky presents it!
I’m going to put my head above the trench on this occassion and agree that he most certainly should be awarded some sort of honour for his long service. I think I’m right to say that Ross is amongst but a relatively small group who have served the city in elected office for this sort of length of time. To have done so as a Conservative in Stoke-on-Trent is frankly incredible.
Ross was one of the most knowledgeable and experienced people in our local government. One or two mistakes in latter years aside, he is also one of the most thoroughly decent and nice chaps you could ever hope to meet.
Yes some sort of award would be in order in this case. Indeed I would go further and say that surely something like the freedom of ther city should be on the cards.
I think you would have to go back a number of years to find anyone who has served on the City Council as long as Ross, in almost a continual capacity as a City Councillor. If I am not mistaken only the 60 to nil total Labour landslide saw a break in his service and he was returned shortly afterwards. Freedom Of The City would be appropriate or nomination for OBE/CBE in recognition of his service to Local Politics and The Community of Stoke-on-Trent.
Head even higher than Shaun on this occasion!!!
Hope Nickie doesn’t get too wound up!!!
I agree, get Nicky to present it, that would be fun.
I think anyone who has served for this length of time in politics should be recognised, after all they must have been doing something right to get voted in.
I think all parties in the city should be standing side by side on this and doign soemthing.
The question has to be asked, why has it taken so long for this to happen
Has anyone in Stoke ever had the freedom of the city? I think Ross should get this at the very least.
Anthony W Yes there is a long list of people who have been awarded the Freedom of the City, but it doesn’t appear to be online; recipients that I can remember have varied from the former African National Congress Vice President, Walter Sisulu, during the apartheid years in South Africa, to the last one I can recall (although there may have been others since) ex-Stoke South Member of Parliament George Stevenson.
Dave Jackson In answer to your question why has it taken so long to happen; usually the award is only given when the recipient’s career is over – i.e. they have either retired from elected office or been defeated; therefore if Ross were to receive the Freedom of the City it would probably be after he’d indicated he wasn’t intended to seek election again either at the scheduled elections in 2015 or at any by-election in the interim.