It was a walk on the wild side for Plymouth politics this morning as councillors from across the city gathered at the Crowne Plaza for Plymouth’s annual Lord Mayor inauguration ceremony, with this year’s event taking place away from the Guildhall due to ongoing renovation works.
As councillors, civic guests and officials arrived ahead of the formal proceedings, one moment in particular stood out to many watching.
Walking side by side and leading from the front were Plymouth City Council leader Tudor Evans OBE and Reform UK opposition leader Steve Ricketts, a scene many would have struggled to imagine in Plymouth politics just a few years ago.
The ceremony marked the official inauguration of Councillor Kevin Sproston as Plymouth’s new Lord Mayor for the 2026/27 civic year, continuing one of the city’s oldest civic traditions.
But while the robes, chains and formalities remained familiar, the political landscape surrounding this year’s ceremony looked noticeably different.
Following Reform UK’s rise within Plymouth politics, the image of Labour and Reform figures together at the front highlighted just how much the balance inside the council chamber has shifted in recent months.
Despite political differences, the annual Lord Mayor ceremony traditionally brings together councillors from all parties as part of the city’s civic calendar, with the role itself remaining politically neutral during the year in office.
With work continuing at the Guildhall, the Crowne Plaza provided an unusual backdrop for the occasion overlooking Plymouth Hoe as councillors filed inside for the formal proceedings.
For many attending, however, it was the sight of Plymouth’s two leading political figures walking in together that became one of the defining images of the morning.
Photographs © Wayne Perry / Plymouth Post