Minutes:
Moved by Councillor Thomas, seconded by Councillor Roger Blackmore, supported by Councillor Mugglestone, and carried:-
4. “My Lord Mayor, it gives me great pleasure to move this Motion of Thanks to Councillor Piara Clair. I also include in this Motion his lovely Wife and Consort, Jasbinder.
As the whole Council will know, you were asked to take up the position at short notice due to the very sad death of Councillor Jean Middleton. This heralded a frantic bout of rearranging of your lives, not least your working commitments, and I wish to express here our sincere thanks to Walkers Snack Foods for all their help and understanding. And so the journey began, a little late, but well on course you nervously took your first steps as Lord Mayor of Leicester.
Only those who have held this historic, ceremonial and honoured position within our fair city could know of the hectic schedule that you have been engaged in, others could merely watch from the side lines in wonder and amazement.
Over this last year you have tirelessly campaigned for your chosen charity, the Kidney Care Appeal, and although there was a six week delay in the launch, you have now raised one hundred and ten thousand pounds, a sum, from which so many of our fellow citizens will benefit. I think we will all agree that this is a magnificent effort.
Your year in office has seen you carry out some 800 engagements and the hosting of 84 events in Leicester alone, far too many for me to record here in this Motion. I will limit myself to some of the most memorable.
The Royal Visits to our city must rate highly on your list; those of His Royal Highness The Duke of Kent opening the Police Custody Suite at Freeman’s Common, the visit by His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester opening the video studio in the Queens Building, De Montfort University and visiting the historic Guildhall to commence the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Leicestershire Archaeological and History Society, and not forgetting the visit of His Royal Highness The Duke of York to present the Passport to Export East Midlands Awards at the Athena in Rutland Street.
As a sportsman yourself, you will remember well the Civic Reception you hosted for the Leicestershire Foxes, following their magnificent victory, over Surrey, in the Cricket Twenty/Twenty Cup. Of course there were many other receptions – for the Turkish Ministry of the Interior, for University Professors from Japan, for Ministers visiting from Gujarat, and a visit by the Indian High Commissioner, Kamalesh Sharma, to name but a few.
There were, of course, many visits to local schools and community groups to give them encouragement in the vital work in which they are engaged.
You still found time for Civic Dinners and I well remember the dinner for Major General Sutherell, Colonel of the Royal Anglian Regiment, which I attended at your invitation, a most enjoyable evening. There was also the Civic Lunch in honour of Valentine Dobrev, Ambassador for Bulgaria.
We must not forget visits by delegations from our twin cities, the visit of Mr. N. Suresh, a Municipal Councillor from Rajkot, followed later by a group of Rajkot artists who visited the Town Hall, and the visit by the Lord Mayor of Krefeld, the first city with which Leicester was twinned.
Perhaps the overseas visits that stand out most in the memory are the four day visit to Haskovo, Bulgaria in September and the civic visit to the Punjab in India, your homeland. This was, indeed, a great success, to sign a memorandum on behalf of the Universities of Leicester with the Agricultural University of Ludhiana, the university of your youth, must have been an honour that you would not have dreamed of in those long off student days. It must have made you very proud to read the reports in the local media, referring to you as ‘Son of Punjab’.
Piara, it has been a wonderful year and you have brought the richness and colour of your culture to this high Civic Office. You have attended and hosted engagements for all the communities that make up this wonderfully diverse, colourful and interesting city of ours and you have been accepted by all, and that is no mean achievement. When I had the honour to move the Motion to Council that you be elected Lord Mayor one year ago I knew that you would be a tremendous success. Tonight I am proud to move this Motion of Thanks for all that you have achieved over this last year and also express our sincere thanks to Jasbinder who has been at your side throughout.
I move the Resolution of Thanks.”
The Council recessed for the period 6.38 p.m. to 6.50 p.m.