New mayor 'steadfast advocate of the people'

RETIRED SOLICITOR IS THE NEW LORD MAYOR OF PLYMOUTH

- By ALISON STEPHENSON Local Democracy Reporter

RETIRED solicitor Kathy Watkin has been elected as the new Lord Mayor of Plymouth, a tradition which goes back 90 years.

In a ceremony at a city centre hotel, the Conservative councillor for Plymstock Radford was handed the chains of office from outgoing Lord Mayor Cllr Tina Tuohy (Lab, Ham) during Plymouth City Council’s annual general meeting.

Born in Shropshire, Cllr Watkin worked as a speech and language therapist before training as a lawyer and moving to Plymouth, where she spent most of her working life, the last 13 running her own practice in Mutley Plain.

After retiring and then joining the council in 2019, she has served on committees including planning, corporate parenting and health and wellbeing. In 2023 she was elected as deputy Lord Mayor.