Honours to be handed to ex-Blackpool councillors - but former leader Simon Blackburn not among them

Don Clapham, Gary Coleman and Allan Matthews – who all stood down ahead of May’s local elections – are set to be made honorary aldermen.

But former council leader Simon Blackburn, who also stood down, declined to be considered for the honour.

He resigned as council leader in 2021 after 10 years in charge, and later left the Labour party following a year long investigation into allegations against him which failed to reach a conclusion.

Mr Blackburn, who now lives in Devon, said: “This is because I think it is important that as human beings, we should be who we are now, not who we used to be.

“Also because as I dreamt up the scheme, I felt it would look odd if I went on to benefit from it, especially as everyone knows that I live 200 miles away.

“I wish all of my colleagues, past and present, well for the future, and I hope the new aldermen enjoy being able to continue to serve the people of Blackpool.”

A special meeting will be held on a date yet to be decided, to confer the alderman titles on the three former councillors, who are all former mayors of the borough.

Honorary aldermen support the office of Mayor and are invited to attend certain civic ceremonial events.

The honour was introduced by the council in 2015, with criteria including that former councillors have a minimum of 15 years service and stood down prior to an election, as opposed to losing their seat.

The role includes acting as ambassador for the council which currently has four aldermen.

Former councillor David Owen, who stood down at the May elections after 40 years service, withdrew from the process of being considered for the honour.

He had been suspended by the Labour Party in August 2022 for anti-Semitism following postings made on Facebook between September 2016 and July 2020 relating to views on relations between Israel and Palestine, for which he apologised.

The recommendation to appoint three new alderman was agreed by the full council.