Mary_Rasmussen_(British_politician)

Mary Rasmussen (politician)

Mary Rasmussen (politician)

English politician

Mary Rasmussen (née Gibbons) is a British Labour Party politician and Lord Mayor of Liverpool. She has represented the Speke-Garston ward in Liverpool City Council since May 2007.

Quick Facts Councillor, Lord Mayor of Liverpool ...

Early life and education

Rasmussen was born in Garston, Liverpool to Irish parents - Thomas and Theresa Gibbons - as the third of ten children.[1] She attended St. Francis of Assisi Primary School and later Blessed John Almond School. She completed a university course before opting to work with people who were long-term unemployed.[2]

Career

For a period, Rasmussen worked with long-term unemployed people.[2] She has worked as a Partnership Manager for Reed, a UK-based employment agency, since August 2014.[3] She is a board member of several groups, including South Liverpool Homes, Speke Community Pensioners Group and Speke Adventure Playground.[4]

Liverpool City Council

Rasmussen was elected as a Liverpool City Councillor in May 2007, succeeding Councillor Doreen Knight of the Labour Party. She defeated Paula Keaveney of the Liberal Democrats and received 57.1% of the vote.[5] She has since been re-elected three times, most recently in 2019 with 79.8% of the vote.

She has served as Chair of Liverpool City Council's Labour Group and as the group's Chief Whip, the first woman to hold the position.[6]

Rasmussen was sworn in as Lord Mayor of Liverpool on 28 May 2021 at Liverpool Tennis Centre owing to COVID-19 social distancing requirements. She chose her son, Michael, to serve as Consort and her daughter, Janine, to serve as Lady Mayoress.[2] As Lord Mayor, she opted to sponsor The Whitechapel Centre, Tom Harrison House and Speke Training and Education Centre.[2] Her first term ended in May 2022.

On 17 May 2023, Rasmussen was again sworn in as Lord Mayor of Liverpool to serve for a one year period in the largely ceremonial role.[7]

Personal life

Rasmussen has two children: Michael, a maths teacher, and Janine. Her daughter Lian died in 2020.[2]

References

  1. [1]
    "First 'service' for Liverpool's new Lord Mayor". Liverpool Express. 25 May 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  2. [2]
    "Lord Mayor of Liverpool Biography". Liverpool Town Hall. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  3. [3]
    Rasmussen, Mary. "Mary Rasmussen". LinkedIn. Mary Rasmussen. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  4. [4]
    "Register of interests for Councillor Mary Rasmussen". Liverpool City Council. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  5. [5]
    "Election results for Speke-Garston". Liverpool City Council. 3 May 2007. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  6. [6]
    "Tennis Centre is backdrop for Lord Mayor's first 'service'". Culture Liverpool. 26 May 2021. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
  7. [7]
    Powney, Louise (16 May 2023). "Mary prepares to serve her second term". Liverpool Express. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
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