The Charter Mayor of Bournemouth is Councillor Robert (Bob) Lawton.

 

About Councillor Robert Lawton

Bob and his brother were born in South Wales after their father, a highly skilled specialised engineer, was drafted there during the Second World War, but the family returned to Liverpool after the War when his father’s contract was complete.

Bob left school a few months before his 16^th birthday and joined the Merchant Navy, sailing to New Zealand where he and the crew spent three months touring the north and south islands with his shipmates.  Sailing back to England he experienced a hurricane storm in mid-pacific which, for a young boy, was an exciting experience in an 11,500-ton ship!

After leaving the Merchant Navy, Bob became an apprentice with a local bakery who sent him to college where he subsequently obtained a Diploma in Management Studies.  He left that company to join a flour mill, working in the laboratory where he took an HNC in Chemistry, and it was here he met his lovely wife, June.

Bob then moved to a major PLC company as a Technical Assistant, and later joined another major PLC company as a Development Technician during which time he was promoted from Industrial Engineer to Production Manager responsible for 650 personnel, then later becoming the Factory Manager after building up a company in Manchester to eventually employ 1,500 people with a turnover of £25m per annum.  Bob was then head-hunted and re-joined his original PLC where he became Group Technical Manager for an operating division employing over 3,000 personnel.  After 10 years with that company, he took early retirement.

After such a busy career, Bob soon became bored so joined Royal Mail as a part-time postman over the Christmas period leading to a full-time position which he held for four years.

Bob then decided he had the time to devote to local politics and in 2007 he was subsequently elected as a Conservative Councillor for West Southbourne, a position he still holds.

How to contact the mayor

You can contact the Mayor by email at mayorofbournemouth@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.

Deputy Mayor of Bournemouth

The Deputy Mayor of Bournemouth is Councillor David Kelsey.